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?

@lollipoprainbow

I agree and there was Facebook post about this recently where a lady was shot down in flames for questioning why Christmas Eve boxes are a thing ! Personally I feel they are an unnecessary extravagance.

What would a necessary extravagance be?

@lollipoprainbow

I don't think the op was criticising or being mean just asking what others think, obviously a very touchy subject.

Exactly! Just wanted some other points of view!

I have to say, my family had the New Pyjamas tradition on Christmas Eve every year growing up - but they were never Christmas pjs! They were just normal ones - bought so that we had new ones on Christmas Day morning (probably so we would look nice for photos) - it stopped when I got to early teens and was replaced with something like new slippers, bed socks, a fluffy blanket one year, and stopped entirely end of teens - made sense! Never wrapped, it was something always just placed on my bed. Think it came from my mums side.

I think the problem with Christmas Eve boxes is that they started as many people here still have them - the plate for Santa would be inside. reindeer food, hot chocolate likely scooped from the existing pot in the cupboard and maybe a DVD to watch.
But they gone a bit wild. I have a few friends where the compulsory photos appear on Christmas Eve of the boxes and some of them are huge. They’ve become something to show off which is why people get irritated by them. One FB acquaintance I had fills her children’s one every year with more than the equivalent of the Christmas stocking - cuddly toys, masses of sweets, colouring and sticker books, several DVDs, last year there was a Christmas console game, a few normal toys.....
The boxes get people’s backs up because it’s another form of added pressure. The kids at my school were talking about them in the build up!

To each their own, they’ve never been my tradition so I doubt I’ll bring them into any future childs life. Just don’t feel the pressure, from the retailers or social media to participate.

And I love Christmas! Bring it on

There are most likely things you do that other people would think are ridiculous and unnecessary. The point is it's not their business so they don't tell you..

I don't do a Xmas eve box just Xmas pajamas in December

I agree, I like to give my children Christmas pyjamas on the 1st December along with their advent calendars, that way they get to wear them all month.

Yes, they are. It’s similar to giving a child who’s birthday it isn’t a present because they moan when they’re left out.

Even before Christmas Eve boxes were a thing, my kids were getting brand new pj's each, some sweets and a dvd to share and watch Christmas Eve. We'd have had a mini Christmas day with my mother earlier in the day and she always bought them new bedding. So Christmas Eve was always spent with them in their new pjs snuggled under their duvets with new covers. Think it's gone a bit ott from some of the boxes I've seen being sold on Facebook though.

I agree with you.

@TheKeatingFive

We usually do something simple on Christmas Eve like hot chocolate and a film, whatever.

And some people wrap that up and call it a Xmas Eve box. 🤷‍♀️

This.

Some of our contents are reused each year. I add snacks, new pjs and a cheap film. Nothing extravagant, just a nice family tradition to get the kids into bed.

I don't think the OP is critical, and admitted the tradition idea sounded nice.

It's the 'grabby' 'consumerism' 'kids already get enough' type posts that piss people off. Posters have absolutely no idea what other people give their kids or don't give their kids but love an opportunity to show how superior they are. Almost every single thing about Christmas is consumerism and unnecessary. No one forces you to do anything. Stop judging others who make different decisions to you!

And don't start me on the 'I think it's tacky, so it must be American' type posts

Can't get worked up over them but MN is the only place I've heard of them. Not something I've ever done or plan to.

North Pole breakfast is done on 1st December when the elves on shelves reappear. You have to decorate your table and give lots of sugar and pastries as shown below

Yes. It is totally unnecessary and puts pressure on parents who are struggling financially with Christmas already. Advent Calendars are enough of a build up to Christmas Day. If you want to buy your kids Christmas pjs and watch a Christmas film then do..they don’t need to go in a special box.

I'm 33 and we were always allowed to open one present when we got in from church on Christmas Eve (nearly always new pjs). I feel it's kind of the same thing.

Our Christmas Eve box isn't really presents though it's a family box with pjs, dvds, mugs, hot chocolate, night before Christmas book etc. We reuse the same stuff every year except for when we need to buy new pjs.
And we usually open it on the 23rd and have the cosy family evening then as on Christmas Eve we go to my mums for dinner then church.
Now I'm not sure if it is a Christmas Eve box or not

Totally agree OP - think it raises their expectations and once you start is hard to stop!

Yay!!
It's the first "Christmas Eve boxes are unnecessary" thread of the season, I swear it gets earlier every year!!

Personally I feel they are an unnecessary extravagance.

The entire point of Christmas is extravagance.

What’s funny is that people assume the level of extravagance they land on is exactly right. Not just for them, but everyone.

Just feels like another thing to have to organise at a busy time of year. Mind you I don't really understand why kids need to be wearing new pyjamas in photos. Come to think of it I don't think I've ever taken a photo of a kid unwrapping presents. Playing in the park in the afternoon with their new bike/ skates, definitely but never occurred to me to photo the unwrapping bit.

@Notnownotneverever

Yes. It is totally unnecessary and puts pressure on parents who are struggling financially with Christmas already. Advent Calendars are enough of a build up to Christmas Day. If you want to buy your kids Christmas pjs and watch a Christmas film then do..they don’t need to go in a special box.

Christmas film and PJ’s cost the same whether they go in a box or not.

See, Elf on the Shelf I can get on with! I think it's just all the buying of more 'stuff' that I don't like. A bit of Christmas elf magic is just cute!

You don't have to put new stuff in the box though. We hardly ever do, only when pjs need sized up.

It's just adding to the commercial buy more spend more bullshit surrounding Xmas and increasing kids expectations.

This isn't something that we ever did, but I think they're quite nice tbh. Don't do them if you don't want to, but I can't see why you'd have an issue with anyone else doing them!

I think it’s quite a nice thing.

I also remember a thread on exactly this coming up every year for the last few years.

We do a start of the season bag when the tree goes up:-
Pj's or jumper or something they need that's christmassy
new book with a christmas theme or new music cd
craft bundle made from stuff at home with instructions (this year will be a penguin scene)
Some christmas looking chocs (no advent calendar here)
Put away every year and brought out again - santa pen, rudolph cuddly, christmas rubix cube, noisy jingle bells toy and usual Raymond Briggs book and gotta get santa DVD.