to refuse to buy into the "Christmas Eve Box" fad?

[HearMeSnore]

I mean, when did this shit start? I never heard of it until this year but now I keep hearing about it in every shop as if it's as essential a part of Christmas as trees and turkeys.

Fortunately it doesn't seem to have made it into DD's hearing yet but I'm dreading being asked "will I get a Christmas Eve box this year?" as if I wasn't already spending most of the Christmas budget on her actual presents.

I'm not a "bah! humbug!" person. I love Christmas. But this is just unashamed capitalist exploitation. Like when the greeting cards industry tries to introduce "secretary's day" and shit like that.

Seriously. Can we make some kind of pact to not do it? Make it die a death before it catches on and we're all pressured into buying even more crap that nobody needs?

Was that a dig at me @HauntedPencil because I said I’d seen ads on Instagram I was merely stating that it is clearly a fully commercialised ‘thing’ now. That doesnt mean I have a problem with it, I said I think it’s cute but wouldn’t do it myself 🙄.

And I’m breast feeding a tiny baby so I’ve got to do something quiet to pass the night feeds!!!

I’m not doing it. And I’m not doing anything more than a chocolate advent calendar either. Kids expect so much these days, the thought of giving them a little gift every day in December winds me up! Consumerism gone crazy. I know I sound miserable but it’s too much for me. My kids will both have a decent pile of presents to open on Christmas morning, they’re not hard done by.

The alternative we do is a reverse advent calendar. Every day we put an item for the food bank in a box so it’s a decent haul by Christmas Eve. Maybe that could be an alternative (and an antidote) to the usual Christmas Eve box OP?

Mine get some new PJs on Christmas Eve since they spend most of Christmas morning running around in their pyjamas on a sugar high and they might have a bathbomb or something if I'm feeling generous or organised (the odds are they'd be getting new PJs and a dressing gown or whatever anyway) but that's about it.

I usually let them pick a couple of new baubles to go onto the tree each year as well - but that's partly me replacing the tatty basic baubles we bought when I first moved out on a gradual basis.

We're at mum's this year so she tends to go completely OTT with festive crafts and baking all Christmas Eve with them and the like - but I don't tend to go the same way when we spend Christmases here.

Merry piggin Christmas

We’ve always done it. The box consists of new pyjamas and then we watch a festive film, read some festive books and drink hot chocolate.

Never done elf on a shelf though.

It makes me laugh with the comments about having the new pjs so the kids will look 'nice in photos' it made me think of another Christmas 'must have' that completely only seems to exist in a alternative world to mine - buying fancy party wear including the all important Little Black Dress. Do people really buy party wear for the whole family including kids for Christmas? Do people dress up so fancy even when they are just spending Xmas day at Granny's? And 'party season'? Do people really do Xmas party's? Department stores seem to make out this is what Everyone Does. But do they? We don't in my family!

Also about the new pyjamas thing. Nights started getting chilly a few weeks ago so that's when I got my girl some new pjs (because she had outgrown last years). Is there a whole national of children being cold in bed or struggling with too tight jammies all through November and most of December because they don't get their new ones until Xmas Eve?

Well we have our Christmas dinner on Christmas Eve and the children have a little present on the table each, so no need for Christmas Eve boxes here! They'd have to be Christmas Eve eve boxes which would be ridiculous. No elf on the shelf here either, I really don't see the point of that.

We always get dressed fancy for Christmas day. We just like to dress up for it. We always have.

I used to be surprised when people say they spend the day in PJs.

But that's fine - Everyone is different and we all do things differently.

Yes people go to parties, yes people dress up on Christmas day, yes people spend all day in PJs, yes people have a quiet day in with films and food, yes people go on a xmas day walk, yes people go to midnight mass, yes people watch the queens speech...

All traditions, but I only do two of them!

I'm with you, OP. This is the first year tbat I've actually heard of this 'thing.'

We certainly never got new PJs for Xmas Eve. We'd get them on Xmas Day and only if we needed them.

Does seem like just another excuse to wring money out of people.

HairsprayBabe I have just had a flashback memory that I had forgotten about from when I was about 12 and being told to go upstairs and change into something 'nice' and spending the rest of the day being grumpy because I was wearing an ichy jumper and annoying tights. Maybe that's why I don't dress up now!! Ha ha!

Yes comfort is key, and it can be tricky to balance comfort and glam, stretch velvet and a circle skirt is the answer for me this year!

Leaves space for mince pies!!!

I have never done them either. I think it's twee and commercialized.
We don't watch dvds because we have Netflix, DS won't touch hot chocolate and we have enough teddies to fill a room. I do buy pj's though but not Xmas ones, ones he can wear throughout the winter with a favourite character on. I also get one of the toy advent calendars, because he doesn't eat chocolate and gets really excited about opening them.
Each to their own though! I do like the idea of a reverse advent calendar too and think we may do that as a family this year.

We have done a "Christmas Eve Box/Present" since the mid 80s when my Grandma (now passed away) bought all the grandchildren new PJs, a book, some sweeties and we were left them for when we came back from the Nativity service. (I used to be sick with excitement every Christmas Eve so they came in handy!)
She used to sew new pyjamas for my Mam/Auntie when they were small for Christmas Eve. Long before social media existed. There are pictures and videos of us as kids opening our Christmas presents in the late 80s, these are treasured memories and we look nice in our new pyjamas

It's not new, or a fad in our family, it's tradition. When does it go from being a fad to being a tradition? How many years do you have to have been taking part?

DH grew up on the bones of their arse poor and borderline neglected. He wants his dc to have everything he never had. I'm a Christmas lover, so I continue on the tradition of; new PJs and slippers, a Christmas book (the night before Christmas) the carrot/mince pie plate for Father Christmas etc.

1st December he'll get an advent calendar and his nativity set, like I had. I'll also put the Christmas books onto the book shelf.

I have never seen a Christmas eve box for sale

Did today though, which amused me no end

Never seen an adult wooden advent calendar for tealights either...now ive decided to decorate one myself the shops are sodding full of beautiful ones!!

What time do you present the box? I remember dashing off to bed at about 5pm on Christmas Eve so santa would come sooner 😂

I've never done it and don't plan to either. DS gets an advent calendar and we do the mince pie for Santa and that's about it. I don't do that elf on the shelf thing either.

We used to get to open one small gift on Christmas Eve but I don’t like the idea of Christmas boxes unless it’s new pyjamas.

What is it, I've never heard of it! We did a bottle of beer, a mince pie and a carrot when they were young, now we do champagne all round! Always have bought new pj's and this year my dd17 has put in her request, a little silky number - ick she's nearly adult

I am unintentionally bag humbug. Chocolate advent calendars and no Christmas Eve boxes/ new PJ's.

Though for some reason that I have taken on from MIL, we do have a little gift on the Christmas Dinner table for everyone.

I'm 42. When I was a kid my parents gave us a new pair of PJs (so the Christmas morning photos would look pretty, and we'd have a bath and get ready for bed enthusiastically), a new mug for milk or hot chocolate (which we'd sit quietly and drink in our nice new mugs), and a book to read in bed to help us get to sleep, on Christmas Eve. There was no Christmas Eve box, and they didn't wrap any of it, it was just what happened on Christmas Eve.

I've been doing the same with my DC for 20 years, though I did (still do) wrap them. It's nice 😊

Surely the entire point of Xmas Eve is looking forward to opening things the next day?

There's no rationing on happiness or excitement ElectricMonkey* looking forward to more than one thing is allowed