To ask what the hell is a Christmas Eve box?

[tallulahturtle]

Is this something people are doing? What is the point?

I think it's difficult to put things in that they will be excited about.

Hot chocolate...big deal, they can have one whenever they want.

PJs...my dd likes new PJs, my 8 year old ds is very 'meh' about them.

Chocolate...I'm a bad mum who gives them chocolate way too much anyway!

DVDs...don't most people get movies on demand anyway now?

Namechange, no, I actually don't know which posts you are talking about.

There is always sneery-ness on MN, you can see it on the Christmas Dinner thread as well. There seem to be an awful lot of people that give far too many opinions of what others are doing as being wrong.

There's a competitive sneery-ness with some of the pro-elf/Christmas Box posters just as much as there is sneering at the reasons why people do it.

I actually think that MN and other fora like it would grind to a halt if posters weren't allowed to be judgemental and competitive over things that just don't matter.

Really don't get all the angst about what others do or don't do, if it's not your thing, that's fine but no need to be a dick about it.

*Reindeer food has been around for donkeys years.

It has indeed, but not packaged and marketed like this with glitter and sequins. Even the edible glitter, whilst safe for human consumption is not recommended for animals and wildlife, and should not be sprinkled outside.
A carrot used to be just fine, or plain oats

The RSPCA warns against selling 'reindeer food' – birds and other wildlife have become ill or even died after eating oats and glitter sprinkled outside for reindeer. The RSPCA suggests that even using 'edible' glitter in your oaty mix is dangerous: 'Certain foods that are harmless to humans, may cause serious digestive problems if accidentally eaten by animals, or could even be fatal if toxic to that species. Glitter is not intended for consumption and even if a product is certified by the FSA as being safe for humans to eat, e.g. edible glitter, this does not mean it is safe for animals to eat. We would advise against this activity to prevent accidental ingestion by animals

Didn't know that about the reindeer food

We have some with glitter. Will let dd pop it on a plate and put it next to Santa's snack for the deer instead of outside

Hot chocolate...big deal, they can have one whenever they want

I don't understand this. My kids don't go without pajamas and books either.
But something nice on Christmas Eve to help them wind down before bed is still special. Even if they can 'have it whenever they want'

They have a roast dinner every Sunday but Christmas dinner is still an event.

When I made reindeer food when DC were small, I used coloured sugar crystals instead of glitter.

I'll have to remember that for next year Soup

Thank tlu

You**

I love the sound of this - I wish I had organised it!!! No way am I venturing to the shops now!!! I'll do it next year.

Hot chocolate...big deal, they can have one whenever they want

This is just mean and I can't imagine ever saying this to anybody who was trying to do something nice for their family

This is just mean and I can't imagine ever saying this to anybody who was trying to do something nice for their family

I was saying it in the context of my own family and dc.

My 3 year old doesn't get hot chocolate and special bubble baths on every day basis

So tonorrow will be a real treat

A lush bubble bath, nice new pyjamas (coincidence I bought them. Didn't actually mean to just for Christmas Eve but I will now) and a hot chocolate before opening the Christmas box and putting things out for Santa

A 3 year old will appreciate and love that. Try it with a moody 8 year old boy!

Yeah...good luck with that one

The children I have who are still at home are 6, 8 and 13.
They have already checked if they are getting their hot chocolate on Christmas Eve.

I think it completely ruins the excitement of waiting for Xmas day presents... So mine aren't getting one!

My 7 and 10 year olds appreciate and love it.

How does a mug of hot chocolate and new pjs completely ruin Christmas excitement?

Quite name change. The whole op was designed to snark.

Do people really do this awful thing? Crivens. What a world we live in.

Do. Or don't. Because I do, doesn't mean you must. Because others have a whole host of components in doesn't mean I must. And if you want to put a lot of effort in, then do.

But don't piss on my parade because it is something I have chosen to do. I have a tree because somewhere deep in caravan family history someone read about prince Albert and his christmas Trees and thought 'that's a good idea. I'll do that too'

Christmas is as much pressure as you want it to be.

My box is purposefully understated because I don't want it to be something to be excited about. I want it to be snuggly and gentle. No bath things because dd has eczema and they irritate skin. But that doesn't mean I look down on those that do have it.

And if you don't do it, I don't assume that you love your child less than I. Or have no sense of occasion. I assu m e you do things differently.

Merry Christmas to you all

Farmmummy it's babame isn't it 😊

In my husband's culture, Christmas Eve is a time for contemplation and eating very simply. You are supposed to be quiet and think all day about your year and anyone who has died, also about the Christian message. You eat no meat or dairy, only vegetables and the whole evening has a quiet contemplative air about it before the excess of Christmas.

It was quite hard when the children were little and we don't enforce quietness! We do eat simply though so that Christmas is completely different.

In other European countries Christmas Eve is their big night and they have fish (usually carp) so everyone does something different.

I don't care what others do though!

My 12 year DD loves it ! I have a lovely collection of books and DVDs now - I just stick mine in a wicker basket though. We have goodies for adults and she has hot choc and marshmallows , christmas magazine, new pjs, fluffy socks and a bath bomb - it is the start of wind down for our cosy family christmas eve - dont care what others do and I dont judge

Don't do Christmas Eve boxes. We have Buddy the Elf that arrived on 1st December with wee gifts like Xmas tshirt, choc in a Xmas mason jug, Xmas book and game. No point wasting 24 days where they can be playing with Christmassy things IYKWIM. I also don't do the 'Elf' thing every night. In fact this year, as I was away at my dads funeral for the first week of the month, their dad let them take turns to have Buddy in their bed at night. I've always told them they can't touch him and move him each day. Oh well This year I'd gotten them a Hot Wheels/Barbie calendar as were cheap plus their chocolate ones.

Just to add, my 7 year old will only wear PJ bottoms so no point in getting Xmas ones and neither child will wear cuffed ones! We do do mince pie for Santa, carrot for Rudolph. I decided a few years ago that reindeer dust was a
waste of time but we were given some last year!