To hate the idea of Christmas Eve hampers?

[leobear]

I know, I know.....Scrooge! But surely the magic of Christmas Eve is the simplicity of it, and the anticipation of what is to come. A hamper is really a big box of presents, and feels to me like overkill. But maybe I'm just a misery guts!

My mil sends us a Christmas hamper every year. Its very nice. It has drink and chocolates in it:)

I have no truck with hampers of twee jams no one eats, bizarre chutneys and Vinegars. Although I suppose if you get surprise guests or forget a present you can always wrap one up as an emergency.

Yabu. It's a nice tradition - just pyjamas, a bath bomb, a (reused every year) book, and some reindeer food. Hardly a glut of presents. I don't like excessive consumption either, I put a lot of thought into buying a few presents which I know will be loved and well used, but I love the Xmas eve hamper. Oh, and the pyjamas they need anyway, so really I'm not buying anything extra.

I know I would have LOVED this as a child.

Really, why get all wound up about it? Enjoy Christmas as you want and let others do the same.

I know, I accept I probably sound a bit mean. Although I do think it's a shame that people think pyjamas, bubble bath and food don't count as presents!! A bottle of Matey bubble bath used to be one of the highlights of Christmas day for me!

rag i dont like buying clothes for presents as its something i would have brought any way.. just feels a bit tight.

unless its something theve asked for and its expensive.

coupon i didnt knwo that.. still to me.. i think its ott to buy pressents just to give on boxing day.

I'm in my 30's and also ALWAYS had new pj's from mum and dad on xmas eve which we put on after our bath ready for Santa coming.

I've carried it on for my boys but they also get a book in the parcel to read before bedtime.

I don't think you're mean OP - do you remember Miss Matey? She was pink! Do they still make them?

i think it's ridiculous. as if they don't get enough on christmas day.

DS usually gets a christmas storybook at some point in december, or we dig out an old one, i dont see why he needs to pyjamas, bedding, bubble bath and all the faff that he will have in abundance from friends/relatives the following day as well.

Yes! You can still get Matey. I'm getting 3 year old DD one for a Christmas present. Tight wad!

I've always done one for me and the kids as DH usually goes out on Christmas Eve - didn't realise they were a 'thing' though.

Usually mine is Xmas PJ's, some chocs, a DVD - not necessarily a new release, just something we want to watch, and Christmas mugs for hot chocolate, same ones every year....

I love it - our Christmas Day is pretty hectic as we have a large family so Xmas eve is a nice chilled night for us.

Ooh we've just opened up our fireplace too so we'll have that this year!

My kids never even got new Christmas pjs.

Christmas eve is all about the drinking , thats me not the kids.

YABU but thanks for the thread as it has given me the whole idea in the first place :o

I love Christmas and since we always end up spending Xmas and Boxing Day with various relatives it will be a nice way of having our own little family time together :) Looking forward to snuggly Xmas Eves with new PJs etc delivered to front door by an elf! (Although think Boxing Day stuff is the road to madness!)

i feel like iv offeneded people with my last two comments, it wasnt meant to be.

i do new pjs, hot chocolate nice bath and flim christmass eve.. becasue i think it makes it special.

i just dont count them as presents,

so yes i like christmas hampers..depending on whats in them.

New PJs on Christmas Eve is a tradition that goes way back in my family (my mum got them as a child in the 50s, me in the 70s and DS now).

We have our own traditions, some old (like pjs) others new (Christmas Eve mass instead of Christmas morning and my seafood feast once DS is asleep). I'm not at all bothered about what other people do in their own homes to celebrate Christmas as long as they don't force me to join in.

I don't know anyone in RL that does The CEH.
I have always put new PJ's on the 24th pocket of the advent calendar though, my parents best friends always did it for their DD and I was always a bit as a child so I do it for my DC.
If people want to do it then it's up to them though, a DVD and a bottle of matey isn't worth getting your knickers in a twist about.

YANBU

Don't get it at all.

And I am another who had only heard of it on MN.

Xmas Eve is very, very special though. All anticipation and Christmas carols. In the evening we sit in the drawing room admiring the tree, drinking Champagne, have a lovely early family dinner to give us time to finish wrapping and the evening finishes with the ritual of Father Christmas's sherry and Rudolph's carrot being laid out.

No idea where new pjs and DVDs fit in. Pjs are definitely an Xmas present in our house. Likewise DVDs.

As for the lists you see on MN:
'New pjs
New fluffy socks
Sachets of hot chocolate
New mugs
Bath bombs [and it's always a bomb, never a bottle of bubble bath- why?]
Annual
Stickers and album......'

All Xmas day presents here.

Never did understand the whole pj's on christmas eve thing. I'd feel a bit nobbish sitting there with all the family in 'our new pyjamas'. Why not finish it off by tucking your feet into a big family slipper. Oh and a family slanket.
I'm half german so have presents on xmas eve. Xmas day is then free to do all the mad travelling to rellies.

I think it is a MN thing. I had never heard of them before joining MN. I have never done them and never will.

PMSL @ "big family slipper"

I've only heard about these hampers here on mumsnet. We won't be introducing it in our house now we have a DD. Christmas eve has always been special and family come round and plenty of little traditions about the meal and the tree, carrots for Rudolph, etc. so I don't feel like we need to add anymore.
Don't begrudge other people doing things like this but it's not for us...
I do worry about how much significant life events these days are about the present/physical item And that these 'things' are needed to build memories. My best memories are from events, conversations, activities and I hope to keep it like that in our family. DD will be 6 months at Christmas and I am already getting 'cats bum mouth' when I say I'm not buying any special big present for her just her first stocking.

They're getting new mugs this year as DD2 has moved on from sippy cups and DD1 wants china mugs now lol. They're cheap mugs from pound shop