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 agree. I would understand if the non-consumables became 'heirloom' items, being packed up and excitedly unpacked again the following year but from what I can see, that doesn't happen. Horrible tat from sweatshops and that's what I don't like about it.

Traditions are great, but not this never-ending consumerist one that's sucked in so many and given yet another excuse for highlighting the differences of those who have money to waste, and those who don't.

I don’t see the point in a Christmas Eve box. We have a perfectly lovely
Time without one. However, I am thinking of doing something similar this year at the start of December. We won’t be going to any Christmas fairs, or seeing Santa, and even Christmas Day itself is probably going to be a more Subdued event without all the family over, so I might do a box to help them feel all festive. Maybe some pjs, some Christmas socks and chocolate coins ?

@54myhobbyisouting I wasn't clear but I was referring to adults.

After reading this, I'm going to do a 1st of December present with pyjamas, and advent calender for me, DH and DS. Anything fun in these horrible covid times is a bonus.

Lots of things are unnecessary but nice to do

@puddlemuddles

Putting Christmas PJs in to be worn once or twice before going to landfill is incredibly wasteful

Why are you assuming the PJs are Christmas ones?

a. the PJs we put in aren't Christmas themed, I suspect the same is true for a lot of people on this thread.

b. when a relative gave DD Christmas PJs one year, she wore them till the summer! They don't need to go in landfill.

In spite of your assertion otherwise, the shops are full of Christmas-theme pyjamas and it's those that are advertised and sold en masse.

Your relative does it differently, great. That's the way I would do it too but many, many don't - and that crap ends up in the landfill ready for the overspending on the next 'thing'.

I don’t know anyone who would dream of throwing away Pjs after a few wears. I seriously doubt this is widespread behaviour.

We all get new PJs on Christmas Eve and when the kids were little we got a Christmas dvd to watch too. The box thing is just a marketing exercise to get people to buy more stuff (and it’s succeeded!)

We actually do Christmas Eve boxes as a part of the whole Christmas experience. My children this year are getting a toy kitchen- joint present which the grandparents etc can buy accessories for.

I HATE how overdone Christmas is. Last year my son (10 months at the time) didn't get anything from DH and me, and DD (just over 3) got a set of Paw Patrol figures (which I'd bought as a bundle on eBay and individually wrapped so she felt like she was really spoilt).
Christmas Eve is matching jammies, a nice snack (to eat while watching a film) new Christmas bedtime story each.

"unnecessary for ME and MY family...is that ok with you? Sorry that my comment seemed to hit a nerve with you."

Whoa @earthyfire calm down. You've not hit any nerves I just don't get why this logic of necessary vs unnecessary is applied only when discussing Christmas Eve boxes. It makes no sense. People are so desperate to outdo each other in the misery stakes these days

Ours just has a film, hot chocolate, marshmallows and a birthday present for our kid who's birthday is Christmas Eve. It's the perfect way to transition from birthday celebrations to setting down in a Christmasy way.

@myhobbyisouting

"Due to social media people have a fear of missing out, when I was a child I had no idea what other families or school friends did on Christmas Eve. 😂"

My children have no idea what school friends do on Christmas Eve....because they don't have social media

this too, social media (like facebook etc...) has a minimum age of 13 so how are all these young kids seeing it?

You’re being miserable. I started it will mine before it was a thing....

They get the same 2 books, Santa plate, refillable reindeer food jar then I add a bag of popcorn, some snacks to watch a film with, this year I have some hot chocolate ‘bombs’ then I usually add one ‘gift’ maybe a new blanket or beany hot water bottle or cuddly toy Or craft activity. They get one basket to share. It’s a lovely thing to do in Christmas Eve.

The elf in the shelf thing I never started.

It wasn’t something we ever did until the year my Mum died. Ds3 (then 6) was upset, crying that he was missing his granny who had spent every Christmas with us since he was born. After his bath I gave him new pyjamas and a book I’d bought him for Christmas and made him a hot drink. The next year he asked if he could get pyjamas on Christmas Eve again so I started doing a box with pyjamas, a book, new mug and sachets of drinking chocolate. I’ve done it every year since (8 years this year) and it works for us.

I didn’t say everyone did it. Lots of people I know do it with matching Christmas pyjamas, and get a lovely snap of them all wearing them.

Some of these people may wear the Christmas PJs throughout the rest of winter but I suspect most don’t. And they’ll have grown out of them by next Christmas.

@06myhobbyisouting sorry, I just meant that for us it felt unnecessary, obviously that may not be the case for other people. Each to their own of course.

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 don't do them, but YABU tbh. Do you personally know for a fact that all kids who get Christmas Eve boxes receive more stuff altogether over Christmas than those who don't? Nope.

Are there parents who give non-disposable-tat and wintry pyjamas which will be worn loads? Of course.

Why does doing something nice on Christmas Eve indicate an inability to wait until Christmas Day? It doesn't.

And finally, if you don't like Christmas Eve boxes, don't do them. Why not leave other people to do Christmas their way?

the tray for Santa's snacks, his magic key as we don't have a chimney, and reindeer food.

Why does Santa have a special tray for snacks and a magic key to get in, being as he does not exist, and what reindeer come round your way?

I give them new pjs because I want them to be in the Christmas morning pictures - this used to (mildly) annoy me as a child. They’re not particularly christmassy though they can be worn at any time. And we have hot chocolate and watch Father Christmas and the Snowman. We will probably read the grinch and the night before Christmas at bedtime.

I have a bag of Xmas books and dvds which comes out on the first of December and if I spot something nice I will add to it every year. Not specifically Christmas Eve though and it goes away with the decorations in January.

Everyone has their own little rituals don’t they, and by the time the kids go back to school in January I think they’re pretty much forgotten until the following December all this making memories # bullshit for the sake of a couple of photos.

I like the idea and did one year before last. Not doing it again though as there was something a bit spoiler-y with opening a gift box and I prefer the excitement to be bubbling into overload by Xmas morning just a hot chocolate packet, Christmas cup, and nice book it was but they were only tiny (3 and 1)

I'd rather give the pajamas in the morning as Xmas day is very much a pajama day in this house so want them to have clean new pajamas to change into after a wash with their new Christmas bubble bath from the stocking and new tooth brushes.

Not one of those things I could find fault in if others do them, just decided it wasn't sitting right within our Christmas plans. We are doing a Christmas eve picnic by the tree this year :)

@NewarkShark

I didn’t say everyone did it. Lots of people I know do it with matching Christmas pyjamas, and get a lovely snap of them all wearing them.

Some of these people may wear the Christmas PJs throughout the rest of winter but I suspect most don’t. And they’ll have grown out of them by next Christmas.

Dd and I unashamedly wear Christmas pyjamas throughout the year . She still has some from about 2 years ago and won’t part with them even though they’re too small for her

I like the sound of ones with a film, a nice treat to eat, the Rudolph and Santa plate, reusable family traditions such as a nice Christmas blanket that comes out every year

I don't like the ones that involve matching Christmas pyjamas, even more gifts, throwaway tat etc. They always seem more about consuming lots to get an Instagram photo than enjoying time together.

Oooh my favourite threads about the pointlessness of certain Christmas traditions are back.

I hate elf on the shelf but I’ve been doing it for a couple of years now because it makes DS happy every morning.

Christmas Eve box - we don’t have a box as such but every year we get the same stuff for Christmas Eve: Christmas pyjamas, Christmas themed book and/or film, hot chocolate and some naice biscuits. Does that count as the dreaded Christmas Eve box?

It’s kinda.. do what works for you? We wear the pyjamas after Christmas, books/films don’t go straight in the bin either, so I don’t see it as wasteful.

I don't do them - or elf on the shelf, but it doesn't bother me at all so I think YABU.

Our Christmas Eve is normally busy with church and family so maybe I will do one this year if all that is cancelled!

@jessstan1

the tray for Santa's snacks, his magic key as we don't have a chimney, and reindeer food.

Why does Santa have a special tray for snacks and a magic key to get in, being as he does not exist, and what reindeer come round your way?

wow... ok grinch

Oh and also I always get winter pjs rather than Christmas ones. DD got these pale blue, lavender and grey hedgehog ones last year, they were absolutely beautiful and she's only just outgrowing them this month, 10 months later (just in time to need new ones for this Xmas )