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'm thinking of doing one this year but just with new pyjamas and maybe a new bedtime story book in etc

I've never got then.
You give your kids Xmas pyjamas so they can wear them in the run up to Xmas. Fine but do they stop wearing them when the Xmas tree comes down? Do you put them away for the rest of the year? Do they fit when you get them out next time? I don't get it.

And my kids don't wear pyjamas, don't like baths so have never had a bath bomb, and aren't keen on hot chocolate. So we've never done them. But they also don't do Xmas lists than goodness as they like a terrifying list on MN,..

Yes. I'd never heard of them until last year on Mumsnet where I also learned about elves on shelves. Nonsense.

@TheKeatingFive

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.

Haha, too true! Would anyone be moralising over it (and don't you guys start pretending that's not what you're doing) if someone bought their families some pyjamas, sweets and DVDs in May, just because?

I don’t know how any of it is magical and relaxing, any of Christmas?

I loathe the idiotic Elf, and the ridiculous things people do with them.
Christmas Eve boxes ?

More expense, and I’m always busy on Christmas Eve....wrapping up.

Years ago my In Laws would turn up on Christmas Eve, I could happily have murdered them.

Christmas was so busy last year, with Christmas concerts, fairs and Carol concerts, I was exhausted.
Working full time, and all of this and shopping for it too, I hated the actual day.

Absolutely hated it.

I’m dreading this year, already.

I can’t remember a good Christmas.

I’d like someone else to have my mother for Christmas.
It’s not nice for her, the older ones always argue.

And a quiet relaxing day, with less emphasis on a huge meal, which seems to get less pleasant every year.

And just a couple of gifts for the kids, instead of me forking out a fortune I don’t have

Speaking of grinches my twins birthday is 1 December so their toy advent calendar doubles up as their birthday present 🤣

I don't mind a little Christmas Eve box for my DS if it contains like pjs, and a book! but my mum started doing them for all her other grandchildren so now does it for mine and she goes abit over board bless her! and now my MIL also does him one too and has been asking me if I'm doing him one aswell!
He doesn't need 3 bloody Xmas eve boxes 😂

Ive done it for my children for 20 years now (Halloween decorations for about 30 years)

So not social media/American influencer related In my case 😀

Started with a Christmas themed book and new pjs, but has moved on very slightly over the years, and i do it for ds1 partner as well

It will probably stop once they dont spend Christmas eve here...dunno really

Not a box, my 3 have a personalised sack that a friend sells....i think most people buy them for Christmas day to be fair

Totally agree with you. Glad they weren't a thing when the DCs were little. Tacky.

I'm a bit on the fence. I don't see the point of buying a specific box stating 'christmas Eve box' that is only used for one night. But, as a child Christmas Eve was always special and we would have party food for dinner, eat quality street and watch an Xmas film and have a bath so I suppose a lot of the things that I know friends of mine put in their box (chocolates, bath bombs etc) are things that I give to my DC's when we now do this. No presents though, I'm not continental

I love doing this for my daughter. I put her new pajamas in, slippers, some colouring things, chocolate and a little xmas teddy. She loves it and so do I. If you dont want to do it then that's upto you but each to their own. I love christmas!!! I dont post it all over social media I do it to see the look on her face

Each to their own - I once did them for very little Gdcs when they were here for Christmas. Dd doesn’t do them, TBH they get more than enough anyway.

IMO it’d be rather better if they arrived on 1st December instead, and contained e.g. an Advent calendar, a Christmas book, maybe new warm pyjamas, something craft-y, e.g. for making paper chains or Chr. cards, something Christmassy to eat, etc.

@LastGoldenDaysOfSummer tacky ? Really? What a judgemental comment to make. Mind you, mumsnet is full of them.

It’s a lovely idea and building traditions is really worthwhile for little ones. Most of the Xmas eve boxes I’ve seen include things like arts and crafts, a Christmas film etc. Don’t worry so much about what others are doing OP

I think it's just a new way of describing something old- I am 46 and we would have a bath on Christmas Eve, and the 'fairies' would deliver new nightie, dressing gown and slippers onto my bed - and downstairs would be the basket of Christmas colouring book (same every year as I never finished it) Fave Christmas film on video recorded off telly- (again same every year) and same Christmas book for us to read before bed all whilst playing the same Christmas LP on the record player- this was essentially a Christmas box- lots of parents bring out the same stuff every year and only add PJs and maybe some festive snacks- I think it's nice if you have a sensible approach and don't fall for the consumerism of needing a personalised box etc
Same with the North Pole breakfast- if you want to bring out the Christmas mugs and make that a thing- what's the harm? Again, if you're moderate and it doesn't cost a lot!

I think it is a lovely idea.

I only started doing these a couple of years ago- and my children are young adults.
So my DS gets a coupld of bottles of craft beers, some nacho, dips, shower gel.
My DD gets a bath bomb, chocolate, mini prosecco, pjs and a scented candle.
I wish I had the idea when they were young.

Christmas starts on the 1st of December here.

You don’t have to ‘get it’. It’s just a bit of fun. Some people like fun.

I put PJs, fluffy socks, a bath bomb and chocolate coins in a box for my DDs. They have a nice bath, put the PJs on and we watch a Xmas film.
Not sure why it’s so controversial?
I think it’s a nice tradition.

Elf on the Shelf on the other hand....

[quote Justwingingmotherhood]@LastGoldenDaysOfSummer tacky ? Really? What a judgemental comment to make. Mind you, mumsnet is full of them.[/quote]
Judgemental? Don't be so silly as to make it sound more important than it is. It's a tacky imported Christmas thing not an important life choice.

Get a grip.

I think they’re a good idea as long as people don’t go overboard. If they’re opened in the morning they can provide (cheap-ish!) activities for the kids on a day which can be overwhelmingly exciting (and very long!!). Something crafty is nice, and then maybe a film. Doesn’t need to be extravagant

Does it matter if you put some of it in the box or in the stocking?

My dc had all their Christmasses abroad where gifts are handed out in the evening. I still gave them a stocking in spite of the badly concealed disapproval of my relatives (can't children wait? spoil the magic of Christmas! kids these days aren't taught delayed gratification!)

Bet if I'd come on here and said I didn't do stockings, MNers would have been shocked at my depriving my poor children of the magic of Christmas.

The magic of Christmas is whatever you make it in your individual family.

Oh, and pretty well all the Christmas customs we have are imported.

@LastGoldenDaysOfSummer you obviously felt it was important enough to make a comment about it? You must be a ball of fun! I'm to busy making a tacky xmas eve box to take a grip.

Ours is 50% reused every year and 50% new. And the new stuff is new pjs (occasionally Christmas patterned but often not) for all 3 of us (DH, DD and I), lump of chocolate in a wooden spoon type hot chocs for all, lush bath bomb each for dd and I (often festive for dd but serious relaxation type for me) and sometimes a nice shower gel for DH, winter ale or Christmas craft beer for DH.

Old things are DD’s sticking, the plastic plate and glass with Santa on them bought when she was a toddler (for Santa’s & reindeer’s snacks), her snowman covered hot water bottle (used all winter) and the family edition of “‘Twas the night before Christmas”.

Of what’s new, there is nothing that is specifically bought for Christmas- we all need new pjs in winter, DH enjoys an occasional craft beer, we all like hot choc and I love a proper bath when life slows down.

But it also helps to slow down excitement and get dd ready to go happily to bed and go to sleep when she gets into it.

We don't do them, but if I did, it wouldn't be "extra".
I have hot chocolate for my dc's stockings this year, for example, and a book each.
I could easily put those in a box with the stockings and a Christmas plate on Christmas Eve.
There'd just be slightly less in the stockings the next morning.

We've actually spent a lot on stockings this year. Probably some people would be shocked. Half of dd's whole budget is going on her stocking.

But at the end of the day, how Dh and I decide to present the presents we have bought for our children is up to us.
We want to make the stockings extra special, other people value giving gifts on Christmas Eve (which is actually very traditional, and the norm in most of Europe).

We have family in Germany... so we have always opened their Christmas Parcel on Christmas Eve... no box required.
We also always stick to one present from Santa & one from us plus some useful things like clothes...
So Christmas does not need to be expensive!

Christmas Eve is like the warm up party in our house and I think I actually prefer it to Christmas Day. Every thing has been done or is ready for the main event, I enjoy that feeling of accomplishment. CD is crazy in our house so CE is the day I enjoy the sparkle, my children’s more quieter excitement. We bake cookies, put the Christmas bedding on then Christmas box which has PJ, slippers, xmas book and hot chocolate.

I don’t find it’s grabby, we always had a Christmas Eve present growing up.