Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. A phone that grows with your child.

Meet the Other Phone.
A phone that grows with your child.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To ask what a Christmas Eve box is?

207 replies

Qpobb · 14/12/2020 08:12

I keep seeing posts on my local FB marketplace advertising "Christmas Eve boxes". No idea what they are, what function they have or what goes in them? Surely there are enough presents given out on Christmas day itself!? I have no DC, so perhaps something that isn't relevant to me... However, I am curious!!

OP posts:
PrincessNutNutRoast · 14/12/2020 13:23

They are a manifestation of rampant capitalism, an embodiment of senseless waste, bastions of filthy lucre and crass commercialism. They ruin Christmas for innocent children and at this time of Christian feeling, one should note that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a Christmas Eve boxer to enter the gates of Heaven.

Or they're reusable film night boxes to get you in the mood on Christmas Eve, usually containing pyjamas, some consumable, a book and maybe a DVD. I always get confused.

madcatladyforever · 14/12/2020 13:27

Its a ludicrous waste of money that nobody has. If we can't entertain our families on christmas eve without the aid of a stupid box we may as well just give up now.
Nothing can undo the damage of the commercial bun fight Christmas has become and now we have to have Christmas eve boxes as well to add to the misery.
I haven't enjoyed Christmas since the 1960's.

madcatladyforever · 14/12/2020 13:28

Yet another thing that poor families can't have and will therefore feel shit about.

PrincessNutNutRoast · 14/12/2020 13:28

now we have to have Christmas eve boxes as well

Did you not realise that they aren't compulsory?

PrincessNutNutRoast · 14/12/2020 13:29

@madcatladyforever

Yet another thing that poor families can't have and will therefore feel shit about.
I would have thought that poor families would be more upset about expensive tech, huge houses, 7 foot Christmas trees with blinking lights and foreign holidays than pyjamas and a DVD.
NerrSnerr · 14/12/2020 13:31

@madcatladyforever

Its a ludicrous waste of money that nobody has. If we can't entertain our families on christmas eve without the aid of a stupid box we may as well just give up now. Nothing can undo the damage of the commercial bun fight Christmas has become and now we have to have Christmas eve boxes as well to add to the misery. I haven't enjoyed Christmas since the 1960's.
You don't have to do anything on Christmas Eve. It's a bloody box with pyjamas, a book, a film etc.

Life is what you make of it. Are you honestly saying you haven't enjoyed Christmas for 50 odd years because of how other people choose to celebrate Christmas? Just do what you want.

sasparilla1 · 14/12/2020 13:35

For me it's a good excuse to give the kids Christmas pj's!!

The tradition in our house is that they generally don't bother getting dressed on Christmas day, particularly DD (14).

Other than pj's I normally put in a game or a puzzle, something to do as a family. This year it's Exploding Kittens.

And I don't have a box, it's generally just a gift bag!

BrumBoo · 14/12/2020 13:38

Yet another thing that poor families can't have and will therefore feel shit about.

Oh the poor poor. They cannot have the pjs, or hot chocolate, or the Muppets Christmas Carol on DVD. They may... this is heartbreaking... they may have to just try and catch it on terrestrial. It's truly a heartbreaking time of year for some. We truly are being inconsiderate to poor people, maybe someone should organise a doorstep clap for them to show our support.

RufustheSniggeringReindeer · 14/12/2020 13:38

@EurosprogBauble

But they did

Can you tell us where you would have bought said boxes then?

40 years ago in the uk?

Where?

When i started doing it for my children 20 years ago there were none around...i mean im sure you could get them made, we use Christmas sacks now

TheKeatingFive · 14/12/2020 13:40

I would have thought that poor families would be more upset about expensive tech, huge houses, 7 foot Christmas trees with blinking lights and foreign holidays than pyjamas and a DVD.

Well, you’d think. But no. Apparently it’s the PJs.

NerrSnerr · 14/12/2020 13:42

I assume that 40 years ago they were home made or baskets or other boxes you may have around the house.

Isn't the point of a Christmas Eve box the contents? If we did do one we'd just use a basket we already have.

Popcornriver · 14/12/2020 13:44

Disagree about the comment saying it's something that mum's do. We've never had a Christmas Eve box. New pj's are always set out and a hot chocolate and the usual plate for Father Christmas comes out every year. And the same old story book of course. Until my DH saw the boxes last week and decided to pick one up! I'm not fussed personally but DH did point out that it can all be put back into the box when the decorations go away. I disagree it's just excess spending. Unless you're buying a load of extra stuff how is it? With or without the box as people have pointed out, new pj's etc would be bought regardless.

Popcornriver · 14/12/2020 13:45

And surely you'd be reusing the box each Christmas Confused

PrincessNutNutRoast · 14/12/2020 13:47

I know I say it every time, but the moralising about Christmas Eve boxes, as if they are the only thing preventing Christmas from being a pure, spiritual experience in which no money has to be spent, pisses me off so much because nobody who's actually thought about it for five seconds could possibly believe it.

As a reusable box with clothes and consumables inside, they're probably one of the most modest and least wasteful ways of celebrating Christmas. And somehow this hand wringing about poor people and landfill never extends to 7 foot pre lit Christmas trees, tinsel and wrapping paper (if it's sparkly or shiny, it's not recyclable), expensive tech, foreign holidays or anything else the middle classes like.

It's more than fine to dislike them and not want to do them, it's fine to think they're a bit naff (because Christmas is all about being incredibly tasteful, after all), it's even fine to decide you don't want to do them because you think they're working class (I mean, it's a nasty and very ignorant thought process but ultimately you can reject them for any reason you like). But will you all please stop pretending that your objections are somehow any more noble than that, and that you're driven by your worthy anti-capitalist concerns that don't extend to whatever unnecessary festive stuff you choose to prioritise in your budget.

BrumBoo · 14/12/2020 13:56

(because Christmas is all about being incredibly tasteful, after all),

Absolutely. I say this every year whilst decorating my plastic tree, drinking ASDAs own Chardonnay and putting a picture of Jeff Bezos on top of my tree instead of the traditional angel.

emwithme · 14/12/2020 13:57

I'm in my mid-40s and while it wasn't a physical "Christmas Eve Box", Mother Christmas would always deliver new pjs and a book on Christmas Eve when I was little.

As an adult, I realise it was so I didn't bounce out of bed at the crack of dawn because I had a new book to devour 😂 and so I looked halfway decent for any photos taken.

2021optimist · 14/12/2020 14:00

Why do people get so stressed about other people doing things a bit differently? I've never done Christmas boxes, but if YOU do, I hope you all have a lovely time with them. Happy Christmas!

YakkityYakYakYak · 14/12/2020 14:01

I’ve ordered DD a Christmas Eve box with her name engraved on it, I’ll be filling it with plastic shite, sugary snacks (and PJs of course).

I’ll see myself out.

2021optimist · 14/12/2020 14:03

@PrincessNutNutRoast

They are a manifestation of rampant capitalism, an embodiment of senseless waste, bastions of filthy lucre and crass commercialism. They ruin Christmas for innocent children and at this time of Christian feeling, one should note that it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a Christmas Eve boxer to enter the gates of Heaven.

Or they're reusable film night boxes to get you in the mood on Christmas Eve, usually containing pyjamas, some consumable, a book and maybe a DVD. I always get confused.

Awesome post! Flowers Wine Xmas Grin
Tangledtresses · 14/12/2020 14:04

I'm near to 50 yrs old and we always had new pjs, hot chocolate, a lovely biscuit and a Christmas book on Xmas eve....

In Europe you get all your presents and celebrate on Xmas eve so maybe it's some sort of carry over from that?

VettiyaIruken · 14/12/2020 14:06

@2021optimist

Why do people get so stressed about other people doing things a bit differently? I've never done Christmas boxes, but if YOU do, I hope you all have a lovely time with them. Happy Christmas!
God alone knows. You're absolutely right- each to their own.
Bloodypunkrockers · 14/12/2020 14:09

@BadTattoosAndSmellLikeBooze

Gosh, I didn't realise this would be such an opinion dividing topic!

Of course you didn’t. 🧐

Indeed.

OP. It's a box that some poker put pyjamas in and "hot choc" - for some reason it's never hot chocolate - sachet.
And a DVD

Very 2000s but there you go

BiddyPop · 14/12/2020 14:14

In our case, a mix of old and new things to help dd progress towards bed.

New pjs for everyone in the family (we always need a pair in winter)
Lush festive bath bomb each for dd and I, nice shower gel for Dh
Hot choc (lump of choc on wooden spoon) for everyone (we like hot choc) and a Christmas craft beer for dh some years

DD's plastic plate and glass with Santa on from toddler years (for Santa's snack)
DD's stocking
Family edition of "'Twas the night before Christmas" - used to be bedtime story but now just nostalgia as DD is a teen
Snowman covered hot water bottle

All either used constantly over winter/Christmas or made to be used up. (Except the book).

Our "Hamper" is a cardboard box that stores the Christmassy books and dvds in during the year.

And it was always known as something I did, never an Elves/Santa thing - just something nice after dinner and before going to bed to wind down the excitement while making it special.

NerrSnerr · 14/12/2020 14:19

All very 2000s but there you go

@Bloodypunkrockers please tell me how to update Christmas to 2020? What on trend?

Trousersareoverrated · 14/12/2020 14:21

Our Christmas Eve box has a book and new pyjamas for each child in it. I like to spread out the present giving at Christmas. Otherwise there is a giant mountain of presents that aren’t appreciated when they are opened because the child is already on the lookout for their next present.