Christmas Eve Boxes

[DBN1]

Since when did they become a thing? I'd never heard of them before this year but they seem to be mentioned as if it's a normal part of the Christmas traditions.
Do you have these and if so, how long have they been part of your Christmas?

Not knocking at all, just genuinely curious.

I'm 32 and my DM always did this for me, it just wasn't in a box.

On Xmas Eve, I would get out off the bath/shower to a wrapped Xmas gift on my bed (always pyjamas) some years I got slippers or a dressing gown too.

Then we'd get cosy on the sofa to watch a Xmas film with a hot chocolate and a bag of chocolate coins (to dip into the hot choc)

Then we'd read "the night before Christmas" and put out a mince pie, glass of baileys and a carrot before bed

Different houses do different things 🤷🏻‍♀️

Not something we do but we do plenty of christmas things and new pyjamas, just not in a box or as an event.

Did a small box last year that the kids loved. Put some flour & choc chips in a bag, labelled pancake mix. A voucher to play a board game of their choice. Treasure hunt sounds like a great idea, I might borrow that!

I’m 30 and we always get new PJs for Christmas Eve. I still get it from my mum and I’ve started to do it for my DDs - it’s a nice family thing for us to do.

My mum told me she did it so we didn’t have old worn out clothes in our pictures of Christmas morning, my parents were young when they had me so didn’t have much to give us during the year.

Im in my 40s, never had one so didn't know what they were until my DC were teens and past that. Wouldn't have done one anyway, enough to do with getting presents wrapped and hidden etc etc. I don't get the new PJs thing, it's like everything has to be perfect like in a film just because it's Christmas!

Slightly off the point but i love getting new pjs. It's always a treat for me. Getting into bed with fresh new pjs and freshly washed sheets. I guess when you don't have much money you find these little pleasures where you can?

Look how many people have fond memories of their own parents doing this for them. How lovely is that? What's wrong with recreating that for your own children?

I get/give some Christmasy things before the actual day. I like to read Christmas themed chick lit books so I get a bunch to read all through December. If I got these Xmas day by the time Boxing Day has passed it would feel odd to read a Xmas story. I also like to make Tree Decorations so I give those in advance so people can put them on their tree. I sometimes buy Xmas themed Lego /Playmobil /Sylvanian sets which are part of my 'Christmas display'. I sometimes get my daughter crafty Xmas stuff that is again stuff that needs to be made in advance like cards. So I don't do Christmas Eve Box but quite a bit of my Christmas budget is spent and used in December.

Never heard of it. I’m going to start doing it this year though. Everyone needs pjs. I’m going to get my dd a new cup and a little pack of chocolate. Nothing crazy I think it’s lovely. I might even do it for my df as well. Just a bit of fun!

I heard about them a few years ago so they're not new and I know lots of people who do them. Although it does tend to be those friends who started it with their pfb and now have to continue.

All we do is the elves pay a visit whilst kids have dinner and leave new pjs under the tree and these are the only ones they get all year so by the next Xmas they're ankle flappers

Sometimes we watch a movie, but not every year as it's usually a whirlwind of getting the kids bathed and time runs away from us.

We don't bother with hot chocolate as only 2 people in the 5 of us like it. We will munch on some nice biscuits though, or some other home baked treat.

We tend to try to get the kids to bed as early as we can get away with so we can get organised and then enjoy an Xmas eve just the two of us as usually up until this point my husband has been working insane hours.

I'd never heard of them until I joined mn a few years back, then I started to see them over fb a lot (or was more aware of them so noticed them).

I don't really begrudge the contents but I don't understand why you need a specific box to present it all in . I've seen people on a fb bargain group getting all excited that Asda were selling Christmas Eve boxes for £2.50 - that's not a bargain, it's a piece of printed cardboard that you don't actually need(!). They could have just wrapped an empty shoe box up with wrapping paper

We've been doing them for about 5 years. A movie, popcorn, hot chocolate and a small toy each. We watch the movie together Christmas Eve before bed.

Nope. Not starting that little tradition.

As a child we always had new clothes to wear on christmas day to visit family ditto easter. I used to buy new pyjamas and wrap them up under the tree with a poundland type present to open on Christmas Eve, we did have one of those early personalised books, with the name typed in to read.

My Mother did put our slippers outside the door on New Years Eve, in the morning we would find a little gift in it? I have no idea where that tradition came from.

Its griwn since they were little

But to start it was pjs and a book

Now ive added

Christmas themed pants and socks for the next day
Giant chocolate coin
Christmas themed shower gel
Christmas themed giant cookie or gingerbread

Their advent calendar for the 24th is a mini treasure hunt and they get ones of those little £1 chocolate selection boxes

I would do the dvd and hot chocolate stuff if they liked hot chocolate...

Get a dvd for boxing day

We do the Elf Letters throughout December though from the International Elf Service (tested another equivalent service last year and they were SHIT!) www.internationalelfservice.co.uk

That fits in with the nice build up to Christmas. Our Xmas Eve is all about going to bed early to let Santa do his work!

Every year when I was a child (up until the age of either 16 or 18) I got new PJs or nightie on Xmas eve. I loved it so continued this tradition for my daughter (now 3.5) - new PJs, small bag of chocolate, DVD or book, and a small cuddly toy, all in a small Xmas eve box. The cost of these items I include in the overall budget I have to spend on my daughter’s Xmas presents (£70) so it’s not an “added expense”

I don’t have a FB profile, Instagram or any other social media so I’m not doing it to show off to others. I’m doing it because it brings us joy as a family.

If people like doing it, leave them be. It doesn’t affect those who choose not to do it. Same situation in that I don’t do the “elf on a shelf” (I don’t like it) but wouldn’t rubbish other people who do it.

Nope. No presents until Christmas day in our house.

I did it for the first time last year. We always host Christmas at ours and Christmas Eve is a busy time when everyone arrives and when there is a lot of prep etc to do. The kids are always rattling round the house with bugger all to do and end up bouncing off the walls. There never seems to be anywhere to go / do.

They each got a box from Poundland with a new book and a mug with hot choc powder. Cost very little and fab for getting them to settle down.

Will be doing again.

We always did it as kids so 25 years ago. Definitely mid 90s onwards so not a mn thing. We didn't call it a "Christmas Eve box" but we were all given giftbags with new PJs, bath pearls from the Body Shop and a chocolate lolly or pink pig from Thorntons. The same gift bags were reused for years.

"1st Dec box" wasn't a specific thing but we did have a box full of Christmas books and videos and my parents would add to it each year. We were always excited to re-open the box and then see what new items were going to be added to it.

I do both with my DC but we don't do EOTS, fancy decorations, bedding etc. Just a couple of Christmas books at the start of the month then pjs and bath bomb on Christmas Eve (so they're clean for Santa).

Do people really slob around in pyjamas all Christmas Day?

New pj's (not necessarily Christmas ones) hot chocolate, popcorn or snacks - we open it then change into pjs and watch a film together

Yes lulo!

*lulu

According to this article the current scale of it is a very new trend. Seems to be mainly a UK thing- I'm in Canada and have never heard of these here!

www.bbc.com/news/uk-38220870