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 do it because I have my children 50:50 with my ex and every other Christmas Day I don’t get to see them open their stockings.

It’s not always about consumerism.

We never had a Christmas Eve box, but every year ‘santa’ would ring the doorbell and leave PJs wrapped up on the doorstep. (I never understood why my dad was a little breathless around that time of night...)

The line was that it meant Santa was in the area so it must be bedtime - genius on the part of my parents I reckon, it was the one night of the year that bedtime was accepted without question!

twee affectedly or excessively dainty, delicate, cute, or quaint.
I think it often has a hint of classism when used as well.

Blimey, I hadn't realised that this was such a contentious subject! Did I post in AIBU by mistake?

Do what you want to do for your family, at Christmas and any other time of year. Whatever makes you happy!

*WHAT DOES TWEE MEAN SOMEONE PLEASE TELL ME!!!

lmgtfy.com/?q=what+does+twee+mean

They do seem to be very contentious! Mine get a new book on Christmas Eve when they get back from church but that’s it.

On page one though, someone said some people get new Christmas decorations every year? Really??? I love all our old ones!

It’s not an American thing.

Another way to squeeze a bit more out of overstretched parents. Where will it all end. Mine used to choose a Christmas story and I would read that to them on Christmas Eve snuggled up in bed and then hang their stocking - and of course carrot and mince pie for Santa. And all before the world had to know about it on social media

Of course you're not all 'snuggling up' on the sofa every night watching a film, but unless you have live in childcare, one parent (maybe the sole parent) is giving the kids a cuddle and reading them a bedtime story at least some nights of the week. Possibly at the weekends. Or maybe not. Maybe everyone is so rushed that every night of the year except Christmas Eve they practically chuck their small children into their bedrooms with nary a kiss and don't bother to check if they've got their pyjamas on.

Anyway, I'm not in the least offended by any of the descriptions; it just seems a bit manufactured for my taste.But I can see I am lucky to have been able to watch TV on the sofa with my children more than once a year.

We get new decorations every year, @oh4forkssake. We don’t get a complete new set, but we buy a few new ones every year. We have some decs that are 60 years old and inherited from my gran, some inherited from my mu, and some we’ve collected ourselves over the years.

Ontopofthesunset For us it's more prioritising that full family time, rather than one of us watching the children while the other of us gets on. I can't imagine we're the only family whose evenings are hectic. It's not that we never do it, or we're never home evenings together, it's more that there are other things which we set aside for the sake of family time more easily around Christmas and birthdays for example.

Ontopofthesunset you made a point of saying you disliked the terms of description so I made a point of saying I used those terms because in our family those things are special and not everyday. Reading a quick story to one child in bed, whilst the other one is out at an activity with dh, only to have to rush out to work with just time for a quick kiss upon their return is fairly standard here. It's not a matter of chucking my children anywhere as you so delightfully put it. It's also not manufacturing terms. The things in the box to us are special, as is devoting time to all just be together without all the rushing, hence why described that way.

@Sleepysofa that I understand, and we have a new one this year - as well as old ones that were MIL’s - but the impression I got from the post was that some people get ALL new decorations every year! That seems mad!

Do people who do Christmas Eve boxes also put their Christmas trees up on the 1st December and take them down on Boxing Day?

where would MN be at Christmas without "new pjs and hot choc?"

Mine get pyjamas when they need them and can have hot chocolate all year round so I dont get the Christmas associations with these very mundane things.

A very style-conscious ex neighbour used to buy all new decorations every year - all the same colour but different each time. .

She once asked me, 'What colour Christmas tree are you having this year?'
'Er, green?'

Extra expense and pressure for families who cannot afford it!

Do people who do Christmas Eve boxes also put their Christmas trees up on the 1st December and take them down on Boxing Day?

Usually the first weekend in December to 12th night or so. This year I'm not sure as we've no sofa's till mid/late December and I've been sitting on a camping chair if DS in the front room, might just get a small one for the kitchen counter instead

I do one every year for my children and always have. It's a box or a canvas Christmas bag and I fill it with pyjamas, a fleece blanket, hot chocolate and marshmallows, books, snow globes etc

I then go all put on Christmas Day. Because I want to and I like to.

Honestly the justifying that goes on on MN is funny. Do this stuff or don't do it

No @ConstantCraving we put our tree up around the 7th-10th and it comes down NY eve or the day before.

constantcraving I don't have a physical box, but we have pj's and hot chocolate. No our tree goes up usually the week before Xmas and comes down when dc go back to school around the 5th. I'm not sure what link you see between new pgs and when people put their trees up and down?

No, just Christmas pjs left by the elf. Dc have enough to open on Christmas Day.

We do a Christmas Eve box. Started when my oldest was 3 even though he didn’t really get Christmas yet.
We have a bankers box covered in nice Christmas paper and put in pjs, hot chocolate, snack, the Santa plate and reindeer food. We keep it cheap and cheerful and the boys love it.

We do a Santa key as we don’t have a chimney.

My ds told me the other day that he loves Christmas Eve just as much as Christmas Day because of the excitement and we're laid back and have time just to be together and enjoy it. I feel like it's a calming pause before Christmas day.

My mum has always bought new PJ's and I like to get him new toothbrush, bath thing and so on. The little extra's (Santa Key, Sweeties, Reindeer Light for him to hang outside, Believe bell etc) all cost very little and most are reused. We'd be getting sweets for a movie anyway. It's all about the experience of Christmas magic together, however people to choose to do it, not about spending the money. I'm frugal with gifts.

plaidlife We have 12 years to turn things around on the planet and you intend to do business as usual on the consuming front but you have...given up straws! Fucking big of you! I'm sure that will absolutely make up for everything.