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 only found out about them last year when about 10 of my friends posted about them, decided to try it this year to see how it goes.

We don’t. They all get new pyjamas, slippers and dressing gowns. Also get left a new DVD and book.

We do elf on the shelf though- all kids leave 5 old things for the elf to take away to charity in exchange for their Christmas’s presents off Santa.

What utter bollocks.

Not the Christmas Eve boxes. But the shouts of consumerism and show off Facebook nonsense, the yells of what waste of money, diluting the magic of Christmas CRAP.

Do you buy stuff for your children? Do you do stuff and buy things to make them happy? How the HELL is your way of doing Christmas better than my way of doing Christmas?

We're all doing it to make our and our families lives happy. So you buy a fuck off big Christmas tree, or go to Panto, or buy that perfect toy. Why are your traditions 'better'. Mine might be newer but that doesn’t make it less special than yours.

The sneering and judgemental comments show what kind of person you are. Rather than just say "oh that’s nice but not for me, but enjoy your Christmas,' you try to tear down anyone that does something you’ve decided you don’t approve of.

It’s now a MN tradition for people to be dicks about this.

I'm 32 and my grandma always got the kids a Christmas Eve present of new PJs, slippers, some chocolate and a new book or whatever. It wasn't labelled "The Christmas Eve Present" it was just your Christmas Eve present, and yes, so you'd look nice on the pictures, this was in the late 80s/early 90s so definitely no social media or sharing pictures.

I do it for DS. He has Christmas themed pyjamas, he'll wear them until he grows out of them. (He also has new pyjamas the night before his birthday.) He will have his PJ's, a kinder egg or something, the bath stuff, like i had. Its no hardship, I enjoy doing it, I don't set a budget for "DS Christmas" so it's neither here nor there what it costs but I often bargain hunt and he's not having a load of tat because it just gets chucked out.

We also go to church on Christmas Eve and the carol service, and the church playgroup, and the messy church worship it doesn't have to be one or the other, Jesus won't mind if DS has elf PJ's on the eve of his birthday and eats a snowman shaped milky bar.

M3lon all human beings consume it is how we survive.
I choose to give my dc nightwear, you don't have to but it has been a cultural norm for centuries. I don't buy extra nightwear, just themed nightwear.
Likewise it isn't essential that dc have hot chocolate but humans do need both liquid and calories to survive so hot chocolate isn't a bad fit.
DVD's are plastic that isn't essential but they aren't one use plastic so they aren't top of my list to deal with. Although increasingly large amounts of my viewing is done on demand.
I choose to focus on straws, other single use plastic and car journeys as for our house they have a bigger environmental impact.

We don't have a specific box but everyone in the house does get a new pair of pyjamas (current favourite characters usually, never Xmas ones), a new book and a new toothbrush, a gift bag magically appears at the door after I have sent a text to my neighbour saying the coast is clear

There are different suspicions as to how they get there, but I have never been a suspect because I get stuff too! Top on the list are elves, fairies, father Christmas and nanny

It's just following on the tradition from my childhood. My DM said that the main aim was to get the 3 of us to bed at a decent time despite the excitement, so we would brush our teeth (mainly the toothbrush was because my older sister put up a fight most nights about this and with a new toothbrush she wouldn't) put new pyjamas on and have stories in bed then go to sleep.

She also said that it was so that we all had nice pyjamas on for christmas morning photos, which was more important then because of the price of film and developing the photos, you didn't take as many through the year and you couldn't just delete the rubbish ones. Also so that she had the three of us in something new and clean, as there was a lot of hand-me-downs and being kids meant between us usually one would be dirty!

I loved the tradition growing up so it was something I always wanted to carry on. Anyone staying here on Christmas Eve will always get pyjamas, book and toothbrush, no matter who they are or how old they are. Although I am included, my DM still insists on buying mine and will put them in a bag and I'm not allowed to peek until Christmas eve when they are swapped in to the gift bag

*Also a stocking for an adult..... just no
*
Why not!! I'm 33 and I still enjoy the excitement and anticipation of having a stocking on Xmas day morning!! Even my Cat has his own stocking which is hung up on the fire place and is filled
with lots of treats and toys on Xmas eve night!! He also has his own Xmas tree but his main presents don't go round it until Christmas Eve night. I put them under just before I go to bed and then in the morning we go into the living room and I'll go oh look Felix!! Come and see what Santa Paws has left you for being a good Kitty Cat!! It's sad but I can't have children so this is the next best thing for me!!

We had new pjs Christmas eve as children so I carried on the tradition. They also get a book which we read, these are not extra presents but early ones. Don't get the argument about pjs not being needed each year, my children grow so do need them! I also don't buy loads of pjs through the year so they've not got stacks of them!!

Some people just need to let people have their own traditions without being sour about it!

We’ve never done a formal box for Christmas Eve, but I usually let DD open one of her presents from under the tree on Christmas Eve, as my mother used to do with us. I will help her select and it will often (completely coincidentally) be a game to play, some colouring, or a film to watch!

i think though it may have always been around for some as family tradition.it has now recently become a "thing" because the shops have found its going to be a great way to make money by making 'Christmas eve boxes' to sell and things to go in it as some kind of separate product. so its chrismtas eve pjs or chrismtas eve box hot chocolate which is the part I find really awful

Its all complete rubbish really. a lot of people are like sheep these days,, they just follow a trend that is in vogue, and then just add to the Christmas consumerism rubbish. and the stress of extra money spent, and the worry about what to buy etc..

We do it 😌
I love Christmas so for me to do it it’s not a problem. The first year we done it I got over excited and put far too much in it but last year, I put a little hot choc, new pjs, his Santa key, some reindeer dust, a little plate to leave out for Santa and a new Christmas book for him.

As a kid, whole family used to get sweets, pyjamas and a candle on Christmas eve, wasn't labelled as a Christmas eve box, but essentially the same thing, so nothing new for me.
Dh and I slightly carry on that tradition by exchanging new pyjamas on Christmas eve.

Never heard of them. Stockings, sacks and 'pillow cases' yes but not boxes. What are they for, do they take the place of the things I mentioned?

Another way to sell Christmas tat and make money, that’s all. Can’t we all stop buying so much unnecessary shit?

Fucking hell. The planet will die and we’ll all still be planning our Christmas Eve boxes. Then New Year’s Eve boxes and Easter boxes ad infinitum

I never heard of this and clicked on the link expecting to be sceptical. But somehow making a moment around an everyday thing like pjs seems really nice. And children always need another book. It all seems really geared around making bedtime special so I’m in. What’s this year’s must have pj for a 4.5 year old girl?!

It's fun.

Christtmas eve is a magical day/

I started doing Christmas eve boxes two years ago.
My son particularly enjoys them. I gave him a wicker basket containing three bottles of craft beer and a packet of pork scratchings.

Make your own traditions :) if this means a Xmas box then great :) our traditions are this: Xmas eve we make mince pies and sausage rolls,sing carols and consume alcohol. Usually just family,but others may be invited. We also eat a German potato soup with hot dogs in it,and we get to open one present. Xmas morning-we get up and the kids open stockings, then we do a big Xmas breakfast grandparents sometimes join us at this point (more likely nowadays when the kids are teenagers and get up at a more reasonable hour!) at this point the turkey is put in the oven and we sit down for a cup of tea and present opening. Then everyone toddles off for shower, getting gussied up,kids play with presents until dinner is served. Eat dinner then crash out on couch in front of tv :)

1st December box here- it just has new PJs ( not necessarily Christmas- this year navy with glow in the dark stars). Advent calendar, chocolates for the tree and a new book- this year The Girl who Saved Christmas by Matt Haig.
Christmas Eve is busy for us- we go to the Christingle at Church and either have friends back afterwards for drinks or go to an open house party. We just have time for a story and to do the carrot/ mince pie/ drink for Santa.
In our house we all have a stocking- I do DH one and he does me one. Not tat, DH’s is mostly gin, coffee and socks!

Laughing at the idea that a few pairs of pyjamas and some dvds are what's going to tip the planet over the edge considering what's happening the day after.

There are so many other things to focus on, to pick on this is just an excuse for pure misery spreading.

When I was small our Christmas Eve traditions consisted only of massive excitement, carrots for the reindeer, mince pie and sherry for FC - who on earth gives the poor old bugger milk??? He needs something to keep the cold out.

Oh, and everyone in the house - guests included - always got a stocking. We've always kept that up, even if it's a tiddly one consisting of one new sock with the other stuffed inside plus a few little bits.

Never heard of Chr. Eve boxes until recently, and dd hasn't started them, but Gdcs were still so little last year. Since they'll be with us this year maybe I'll overcome my anti consumerist principles and do some. I've already overcome them to the extent of buying a FC duvet set for the double bed Gdcs will be sharing.

Ours is an Amazon box wrapped in Christmas paper. It contains:
New Winter pyjamas in the next size up.
Reindeer food, that I make myself.
A plate for FC's mince pie and milk that we reuse every year.
A magic key that we reuse every year.
Hot chocolate and marshmellows in a sweetie cone that i make myself. A box of Cadbury's Festive Friends biscuits.

Do whatever makes you and your family and your particular circumstances happy.

They are ridiculous and add to the 'jobs to do' at this busy time of year, something no busy person needs.

Christmas is special because we wait for it. Give this idiotic idea the heave-ho that it deserves.