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?

Some real grinchs on here. I'm in my 40s. My siblings and I got new pj's slippers and dressing gowns wrapped up Xmas eve over 35 yrs ago they were the only things santa didn't get credit for! (my mum still buys those things for us now). I started it 15 yrs ago with my children and step children as its just normal for me but never told anyone it's only the social media world that makes a big money making /show off deal out of it. I've never once posted a picture of my children receiving gifts on Xmas eve which is a shame in hindsight as I love the time hops. We've got a few traditions but everything I do is for mine and my families enjoyment I couldn't care less what anyone else thinks

I’m with you OP, couldn’t agree more! Just another way to get people to spend money on stuff they don’t need and a way for kids to inadvertently expect more. I always thought it was daft but when I heard that people only wear their new Christmas pj’s around Christmas that was really the nail in the coffin. So wasteful 😭

I have concluded that, irrespective of individual positions on Christmas Eve boxes, as a society we are preoccupied with pyjamas and hot chocolate.

I don’t see any evidence for that.

They’ve been mentioned constantly on this thread because people don’t understand why these staples of the Christmas Eve box equate to MINDLESS CONSUMERIST TAT in the eyes of some posters.

I mean, of all the things to focus on in the rage against consumption. 🤷‍♀️

but when I heard that people only wear their new Christmas pj’s around Christmas that was really the nail in the coffin. So wasteful

What about the vast majority who don’t? Is that ok?

Apropos of which, I noticed this morning that DS2 was wearing DS1’s Christmas pjs from 4years age. DS1 wore those for more than a year, now DS2 is having a go, his little cousin might get a turn out of them too when he’s done.

Yes, they are ridiculous and unnecessary.

They are also fun and hurt nobody. I do hope the miserable moaners do nothing frivolous at all in their lives, least they be a tad hypocritical.

@Ritasueandbobtoo9

It just adds another layer of stuff that people are expected to do / “BUY”! I reject it as consumerist nonsense. We put a carrot and some whisky out for FC & the reindeers.

This^

Don’t do one then it’s simple,

Our little boy will be 9 month and I know he won’t have a clue but I’m doing him one, Christmas pjs, a book, some chocolate buttons and a little Christmas plate and bowl for Christmas Day. It’s not expensive to do and as he grows up each year it will be a lovely family tradition.

@thekeatingfive

you prove my point, they hold near-totemic significance on either side of the great Christmas Eve Box divide.

Just a throwaway observation, let the debate rage on

I always thought it was daft but when I heard that people only wear their new Christmas pj’s around Christmas that was really the nail in the coffin. So wasteful

What? Have you read any posts on the thread? People have made it clear that the pyjamas get worn for as long as the weather and child's size makes it feasible. Besides, clothes are recyclable.

Why are all the moralistic anti-boxers constantly objecting to things that don't happen?

they hold near-totemic significance on either side of the great Christmas Eve Box divide.

I think it’s more that they are an obvious counter to the points made about waste and over-consumption.

Like the vision in people’s heads of what the boxes are bears no resemblance to the reality.

@Pinkfluff76

I’m with you OP, couldn’t agree more! Just another way to get people to spend money on stuff they don’t need and a way for kids to inadvertently expect more. I always thought it was daft but when I heard that people only wear their new Christmas pj’s around Christmas that was really the nail in the coffin. So wasteful 😭

You have very clearly NOT read any of the comments after the op or you’d realise you’re talking utter rot .

@ShebaShimmyShake

I always thought it was daft but when I heard that people only wear their new Christmas pj’s around Christmas that was really the nail in the coffin. So wasteful

What? Have you read any posts on the thread? People have made it clear that the pyjamas get worn for as long as the weather and child's size makes it feasible. Besides, clothes are recyclable.

Why are all the moralistic anti-boxers constantly objecting to things that don't happen?

Because its easier to make up and shout wild unsubstanciated claims rather than do research and admit they assumed wrong and look a bit silly.

Sometimes it works because those who ignorantly assume without doing research themselves before asserting things often have friends who also dont research so the misinfomation spreads among them. Then you get thereads like these where its refuted by actual people with experiance and instead of accepting they blindly spouted rubbish they double down with wilder and wilder claims trying to dig out of their own hole.

We do it but on the 1st December, it usually contains Xmas pjs, Xmas jumpers (I'll reuse last years if they still fit) and I bring out the same Xmas dvds and books every year, so not buying tons of new stuff every year. I usually put some arts and crafts stuff in and a gingerbread house kit and we do different activities every day in December. We all actually prefer this to Xmas day itself.

It's going to be a might different Christmas this year.......

Blimey, some people would hate how all out I go at Christmas.

We plan to do:

Advent Calendars
St Nicholas' Day sweet slippers
Carolling
Icelandic elves (way more rock n roll than elf on the shelf)
Christmas Eve traditions (probably in a box!)
Christmas Day
Twelfth Night Party

My sister and I did pretty much all of that as kids, and there's also my birthday in the mix, plus NY, plus a special day for each set of grandparents.

I'm a firm believer of tis the SEASON. Christmas Day just sits in the middle of all of that.

@ShebaShimmyShake

it is all about mums outdoing other mums.

Lots of people have explained why they do it. If you must make up bad motivations to justify your moralistic objections to something that has no moral value, please try something that isn't misogynistic to boot. To be fair, you're not the first one to do it here, but many others have given equally stupid, unjustified and sanctimonious criticisms that will serve your purpose without the added offence of using it to bash women too. Or shall we just add "it's all about women being bitches" to whatever traditions you happen to enjoy?

love these comments people swing wildly between:

'I dont know ANYONE that does these'
and
'its an american social media thing to out do each other'

those contradict each other, I garantee they know people who do them just from the sheer number of people on threads like these that do them and the fact they DONT know they know of others traditions is proof it has nothing to do with social media or 'out doing' anything - you dont know because its a basic tradition people dont post/brag about.

Its like crackers, we do them every year with dinner as a tradition but I have never posted photos of it online or had a convosation with someone about crackers - guess by that logic its not a thing I do because I dont talk about it IRL but because I posted here its a 'social media american fad I do to out do' all the people I dont talk about it too.

These boxes cause some really weird thought processes. We've had people literally saying that pyjamas as a gift on Christmas Day are fine but not in a box the night before, that they like buying stuff for a family film night on Christmas Eve but wouldn't dream of doing one of those horrible boxes, that they are fine until someone advertises them and then they can't possibly be "personal" (how unimaginative!), that they literally ruin Christmas and we should pity the children who are subjected to them, that they are done only by "sad bastards" (bastards! Having one makes you a bastard!), that they spoil Christmas except for that one year we did one and the kids say it was the best ever, and endless accusations of waste and mindless consumerism even when we've had dozens and dozens of actually very thoughtful posts from people who do then and make it clear that they're generally pretty modest affairs with little waste if any...film boxes plus PJs.

The rage and moralistic ire against them is simply not justified or in any way proportionate. What exactly is the issue with them?

@MsTSwift, that made me 😂.

When dds were at home, they’d go off with dh to buy a tree - with me saying, ‘Don’t get an enormous one this time!’
They’d invariably come back with one so huge that he’d have to lop a foot or two off the bottom, and half the sitting room furniture would have to be moved to make room.
It did always look lovely, though.🎄

Christmas was really an invention of the Victorians and not really celebrated before them.

Those of you saying Christmas boxes are commercialised crap, do you have crackers on your Christmas table? Only they were invented as a well to sell sweets over the season and then became part of the tradition.

Cards? Also a Victorian thing which became part of an everyday Christmas.

Traditions evolve. I imagine someone was sitting round in their parlour supping on tea in the 19th Century and complaining about these 'horribly commercialised crackers!'

@ShebaShimmyShake

It's mad, isn't it?

That list of Christmas traditions my family did were in part strongly driven by us kids. My sister and I found out about St Nick's Day at school and surprised our parents with the sweets in slippers on the fireplace on December 6th.

Not that I'm not prejudiced in my own ways - I'm privately quite sniffy about anyone who does all presents from Father Christmas, because for the above reasons, I'm firmly in the camp that everyone contributes to Christmas - I have loved Christmas shopping since I was tiny (my family were pretty tolerant of the absolute crap a five year old selected and paid for herself!).

This thread is unreasonable as now I really want a chocolate Yule log

I love a Christmas Eve box. However it's basically what I had as a child anyway, just without the box. My mum always bought us Christmas activities for Xmas Eve, new pyjamas, hot chocolate, a Christmas book, xmas movie and a xmas themed bath product.
That's essentially what a Christmas Eve box is, it's stuff to do and enjoy Xmas Eve as a family.
You're not unreasonable to not like them yourself, but you are unreasonable to expect everybody else to fall in line with your opinions.

@AdobeWanKenobi

Christmas was really an invention of the Victorians and not really celebrated before them.

Those of you saying Christmas boxes are commercialised crap, do you have crackers on your Christmas table? Only they were invented as a well to sell sweets over the season and then became part of the tradition.

Cards? Also a Victorian thing which became part of an everyday Christmas.

Traditions evolve. I imagine someone was sitting round in their parlour supping on tea in the 19th Century and complaining about these 'horribly commercialised crackers!'

I loved it when I heard that Christmas crackers were originally called 'Bangs of expectation', it's a shame we only expect crappy tat to come out of them now!

Bangs of expectation I know, fabulous name that. Though 'bang' is probably a bit hopeful with modern crackers isn't it, more a 'slight snap of dirge' 😂

YANBU - however we do do it.
I just put Xmas PJ's in there with some hot chocolate ball things (they melt in hot milk and have marshmallows inside) and a book. Then we all sit down and watch Snowman and the Snowdog. We do it every year.
I think it all comes down to your own familys Xmas traditions. There's no right or wrong to it!