Did you get a Christmas Eve box as a child?

[purplertwirl]

I didn't, no new pjs, chocolates or anything like that. Basically nothing given on Christmas Eve.

My DS is 4 and I've done him a Christmas Eve box for the last 3 years. It's always pyjamas, a Christmas themed book, sweets, a mug etc. Not much really but it still costs, and I'm starting to think it might be a bit excessive on top of the cost of everything else.

I'm wondering, why/when did these become a thing? I'm 26 so my childhood wasn't "that" long ago, but now it's pretty much the norm 🤷🏻‍♀️

I think no box is a better idea just save the presents for Xmas day

Nope. Never heard of Christmas jammies until I was a grown up. We got presents under the tree on Christmas morning.

It’s always amusing on these threads when posters basically insinuate that other people are lying simply because their experiences or family traditions are different to theirs

We opened an advent calendar starting 1st December, it was the same calendar every year with pictures behind the windows. It was a picture of father Christmas with movable arms and legs and I loved it!

I actually don't like modern chocolate ones as they're really not christmassy at all, so I've never bothered (apart from one year but my dd ate all the chocolates in one day, so I never bothered again).

Early 40's. Always got new pyjamas on Christmas Eve.

I just want to say thank you for using the word "pyjamas" rather than abbreviating it.

Mid-40s. Had never heard of Christmas Eve boxes until recently. We didn't get gifts of any sort on Christmas Eve. I don't remember anyone I knew talking about them.

No we never had one, and no our child doesn't just because people want to say it's normal doesn't mean we are forced to do it

Our child get presents and a stocking on Christmas Day that is enough

I don't get the fuss about needing new pyjamas "for the photos" either. I take photos to capture the joy and excitement on my DC's faces. Doesn't matter what pyjamas they're wearing. We don't share the photos though so maybe that's why it's not important.

In my example it was because as a child I had one pair of pyjamas to last me all year. So by December they were too small and as tatty as anything from being washed.
So my grandparents preferred us not looking like complete ragamuffins in the photo albums

But do enjoy your sneering.

Not sneering. It's slightly different getting one new pair of pyjamas a year as a Christmas gift than opening your matching family set of gingerbread pyjamas on Christmas Eve. My DC sometimes get new pyjamas as a Christmas gift under the tree if they need them but they wear their usual pyjamas to go to bed on Christmas Eve. DC2 wears DC1's hand-me-down pyjamas which are definitely the worse for wear but that doesn't stop me from taking pictures of them opening presents.

Our eldest is 22 and youngest is 20 and we have always done new pyjamas, chocolate coins and a Christmas book/dvd on Christmas Eve. We didn’t call it a Christmas Eve box but gifts were wrapped.

still do the new pyjamas each Christmas Eve for everyone in the house.

We always had a nice meal and one gift and maybe a new board game

No and I don't do them for my children

The posts that make me laugh are the ones that say ‘No, of course we absolutely did not do this ridiculous, modern, commercialised nonsense!’ but then follow it up saying they would however get new pyjamas or a hot chocolate or something- everyone I know that does a Christmas Eve box is literally just that- PJs that the child would have needed anyway, hot chocolate, a Christmas story to read that is kept year on year so not new. I admittedly don’t do one (my kids refuse to wear PJs for one thing!), but hate this looking down on people that do!

Hot chocolate to me is just a drink, a book that we already own is a lovely tradition but this has nothing to do with what I would think of as a Christmas eve box

Same as pj's as to me that is a present that is given on Christmas day

We have chocolates sometimes, watch TV all together or play games and maybe have other random bits

It is all just things we do or have at the time

No. The didn't exist.

Yes I did, in my 30s, I got pyjamas, a book, tangerines and possibly something else’s I forget every Christmas Eve.

I’d never heard of Christmas Eve boxes until a month ago. I don’t think they’re a thing in the US, yet.

My kids did get new Pjs sometimes on C Eve due to photos on Christmas morning!

I am 41. We did. But it wasn’t a box. On Christmas Eve after church when we got home there was PJs, some sort of activity to do, snacks and one or 2 presents. They were in a decorative velvet bag. I still have my bag now.

My family aren’t English and my mum grew up with the same. She would get some gifts on Christmas Eve. Dad is from another country different to mum and didn’t. Mum would be 68 if she was alive.

My kids are 19 and 14 and we do the same. I actually got their Christmas Eve stuff out yesterday to put to the side. They just won’t be in a box. They will be a velvet bag that I got the kids for their first Christmas.

I know loads of people that have done similar. It seems to be the fact that it’s in a box, seems to have taken off on social media’. It’s also the box that pisses loads of mn’ers off. If there was no box, less mn’ers would feel comfortable moaning about traditions that are quite common in other countries.

That’s quite funny as there have been a few threads on this over the years and usually at least a few posters moan about how it’s an American import 😂

I did them for kids when they were little but it wasn't a thing then (a decade ago), at least it certainly wasn't here in the Caribbean. Pretty sure I remember my mum doing similar in 80s, but it wasn't a box, it was just stuff the night before.

Just got a festive box and it would arrive out of thin air on Christmas Eve with pjs, toothbrush, baileys, hot chocolate, a copy of the Night Before Xmas a copy of the Polar Express (when DVDs were still a thing), reindeer food and a Santa key to hang on the front door cos we don't have a chimney.

Was great and kept kids entertained when they were small. They're 12 & 9 now and I don't do it anymore and I definitely wouldn't go out and buy one.

You don’t do it and it doesn’t bother you. You buy PJs as a present if needed and give them Christmas Day. Some people give them Christmas Eve. The difference is what?

And some people don’t pass down PJs. The first child that has them wore them out and they are usable. And some of us have kids of different sexes. Not sure ds would appreciate me giving him dds nighties that she wore as a young teenager.

i have never thought about the ‘looking decent on camera’ angle. My favourite Christmas photos of ds is when he was young and only had pj bottoms on. However, it’s really not usual or a personal failing for people to want their kids clothes to look decent in photos. And some of these people also don’t share photos of their kids on SM. It’s becoming more and more common for parents to not share the photos of their kids on SM.

That’s so interesting! I’ve never heard of it and I work with small children, have done for years, but never heard a single parent mention this!

Ive seen the whole matching PJs thing, but not a Christmas Eve box.

I always got new pjs or nightie on Christmas Eve growing up, it’s something I continued for my dcs. They are 17 & 13 so we were doing this before the Christmas Eve box became a thing.