To think Christmas Eve boxes are absolutely ridiculous and unnecessary?

[dressinggownwearer]

Just that really. Do children not get enough at Christmas without giving them even more the day before?! What are Christmas Eve boxes even for/full of that can't wait until Christmas Day?! Am I being mean and a grinch or do people agree?

I bought an elf when the Elf on a Shelf craze got going.

Then I couldn't be bothered with all the rigmarole of moving him every single day.

So for the past 7 years DS's elf brings him a onesie, a small Christmas type book or new PJs then pops off to help Father Christmas with his deliveries. DS would give him a hug, have a chat (no parents allowed but we would stand looking through the door as he had this very animated conversation with his Elf), then he'd go off for his bath and the Elf would 'disappear' leaving 'his' gift for DS. DS would have got a onesie or I'd have bought a new Christmas eve book to read anyway so why not from the Elf? The Elf would leave him a note telling him he'd be back on Christmas day and there'd be a little bit wondering what he'd be doing this year for Father Christmas.

On Christmas day the 'big' gift would arrive later in the day along with a very tired Elf who would hide with the gift. So we had a treasure hunt as Father Christmas would leave a note saying 'thanks for being such a good boy, oh and the Elf is back - do you want to play a game to find him?' with little clues like 'I'm safely tucked up where you go at night' - the elf would be on the bed with the gift.

The Elf stays in DS's bedroom during the year - often tucked up in bed with him. He's a much loved toy.

DS obviously knows the truth about Christmas now but the past two Christmases we've had to do exactly the same thing. It's part of DS's traditions now and it means a lot to him - it's the start of his Christmas.

So, no we don't do Christmas Eve boxes as such - we've just adapted our Christmas traditions to work with our DS.

Totally agree.

All the kids I know who get Christmas Eve boxes are complete brats sorry not sorry

Surely what others do at Christmas effects you not one jot?
We don’t have elf on the shelf as I think it’s creepy , we don’t do a “South Pole” breakfast which seems to be another new thing and we don’t have a box on Christmas Eve but we do wrap up new pyjamas for both kids and a book and reindeer food (bird seed and oats ) for the younger one .
Do I care what strangers think about it? No ..

We used to do those Playmobil or Lego advent calendars. I think DC had one for 3 years in a row.

Have to say they’re utter shit and the kids generally find them disappointing (and so do classmates / friends).

Just one chocolate advent calendar will do.

@GlummyMcGlummerson

Totally agree.

All the kids I know who get Christmas Eve boxes are complete brats sorry not sorry

What an utter pile of shit 😂

We don't do it.

@ShebaShimmyShake

Maybe don't comment and read them if you can't be bothered with them then!!!

You said you wanted opinions...

Absolutely, but if you can't be bothered with a topic I don't understand why you would waste your morning commenting on it tbh!

I’m 21 and still get them, new pyjamas, chocolate, a book/kids activity book, we get it on an evening before our showers, I think it’s nice

Disagree.

I think it's quite disappointing and overwhelming to have everything be given on one day.

I'd much rather spread (the same amount of) gifts out across December to ekkk out the magic.

Plus - a Christmas Eve box of new (non Christmassy) pjs, toothbrush, an activity, hot chocolate, colouring book, bath stuff, story etc gives structure to the day and helps them unwind.

For me, it's stuff they'd get anyway - even on a normal day - but in a box.

Echoing others, I had a Christmas Eve box of sorts back in the 70's. I was given new bubble bath, a nightie (one of those that sparked when you turned over in bed 😂) and some form of chocolate.

My Dad (born in 1934) grew up with a similar tradition of new Pajamas and some kind of treat on Christmas Eve, my Mum, who was from a much larger family, didn't have that.

So it's not new. It's not consumerism it's just something that some strange folk like to get worked up about.

We always got a new set of pjs on Christmas eve which was lovely and exciting. I will continue this with my kids but agree a box of stuff is a bit silly

Glad my kids are older now and I don't have to face all that elf nonsense. I always got them fresh PJS (not necessarily, Christmas ones) and did the reindeer and santa plate thing (no special plate - just whisky, mince pie and carrot). We go to midnight Mass now but my kids still look for new PJS and hang their stockings up, despite being 22 and 15 😂

I feel sad that people have been sucked into yet another later of disposable consumerism, the same has happened with Halloween.

It also places pressure on people which can be financial and mental, which many struggle with. The purchases may not need to be large, but if you add everything up, autumn/winter season gets expensive and stressful.

Trailing out to the shops isn't as easy as it was as well.

I'm pleased my kids are grown up. I only ever did birthdays and Xmas.

"Glad my kids are older now and I don't have to face all that elf nonsense"

Nobody has to face anything. It's a choice.

You do you Hun.

It can be a choice, but pressure can come from family, friends and the children themselves.

"Trailing out to the shops isn't as easy as it was as well.

I'm pleased my kids are grown up. I only ever did birthdays and Xmas"

Not another one 🤦🏽‍♀️ so patronising (and I'm not young btw)

Shopping is much easier now. Who is "trailing" anywhere? Why didn't you celebrate Easter if you did Christmas? Seems strange to me.

Well, you could argue that most of Christmas is unnecessary, just do the bits you enjoy.

I’m not sure it is a social media invention -my siblings and I used to get new PJs and a game every Christmas Eve in the 1980s - but more a case of people sharing their own family traditions on social media and other people thinking that it would be nice to do that for their own families. After some momentum it then becomes more commercialised.

Everyone does Christmas differently, some families all presents come from Santa, some only the stockings. Some people think that a child discovering that Santa isn’t real will destroy the magic of Christmas, some people still have magical Christmases despite their older brother informing them at age 4 that Father Christmas is just “Daddy in a red suit”. You make the magic in the way you think is best for your family, and I promise you that your kids will find it magical. Don’t feel guilty for the traditions you decide to partake in, and don’t feel guilty for those that you decide aren’t a part of your family’s Christmas. Just enjoy spending time together.

It can be a choice, but pressure can come from family, friends and the children themselves.

So like everything else in life then. I don’t see the moralising applied to most other areas.

Christmas eve boxes are just another way to part fools with their money and make people who have no money feelike shit for "depriving" their children of another gimmick.
Yours faithfully Mrs Scrooge

I feel sad that people have been sucked into yet another later of disposable consumerism

Did you read the bit where I mentioned my Dad had this tradition in wartime?

You do you Hun

And as patronising as it is, thats it in a nutshell. Do whats right for your families. I followed a tradition thats come through my family for decades.

Yes absolute commercial crap and unnecessary financial pressure for parents!

Well, nothing about Christmas is really necessary is it?

I do eve boxes for my kids. Well, not kids anymore but I still do it.

A parcel with new PJ's and hot choc ingredients in it. They bathe, get into their new PJ's then sit down with a massive hot choc topped with cream, mini marshmallows and chocolate curls.
It's nice. I can't really think of a reason why nice has to be necessary.

I've been doing mine long before it was a thing - random box or bag, pjs (usually a pair out of a multipack with the others wrapped for Christmas Day) popcorn for film and reindeer food - makes bedtime a breeze.

Who gives a toss, really? Lots of things are unnecessary, so what? Why do you want to make people feel like shit about things they do to add a bit of joy to their lives?