To not understand matching pyjamas and Christmas Eve boxes

[Fatas]

I don’t understand where all these new traditions have come from. Whole families wearing matching Christmas pyjamas and Christmas Eve boxes.

Do you do it? Or are you also confused?

Is there anyone that does not dress their baby up either for Christmas, Easter, world book day or Halloween? I mean what enjoyment does the baby gain from drawing up. I just find all these new norms a little odd, or am I just miserable?

It's not for fun it's for social media. I imagine it is only a very tiny fraction of families that do this matching pyjamas shite without putting a photo up somewhere

Your a bore, been doing this for 15 years.

And no pic on social media because I'm not a saddo.

I wasn’t aware of the Mumsnet posts. I’ve had quite a few picture messages and seen stuff on social media this year. I have two little ones so I wondered when it had become the new norm. I’ve never really thought about the Christmas box thing and wasn’t massively aware of it til this year.

I’m not a killjoy as a family we quite enjoy Christmas.

The boxes are new but I've always bought my now adult kids pjs and given them on Christmas Eve. The matching ones for adults I find a bit but to eaches own...

I dont understand marriage? Pointless piece of paper and name change I could do for 20 quid? And 1 in 2 will end in divorce.

I dont believe in some pie in in the sky bullshit god dictating how especially women live their lives.

I could go on and on.

Do I bang on about it here? No and these things are merely small traditions like a poxy xmas tree or pigs in blankets.

@Fatas

I wasn’t aware of the Mumsnet posts. I’ve had quite a few picture messages and seen stuff on social media this year. I have two little ones so I wondered when it had become the new norm. I’ve never really thought about the Christmas box thing and wasn’t massively aware of it til this year. I’m not a killjoy as a family we quite enjoy Christmas.

You’re fine, OP. You’ve deviated from the norm and now must.be.exterminated.

My two don't really like wearing pyjamas but the new ones they get for Christmas Eve they will wear. I think it's something to do with the fact that they want to look smart for Santa. I just don't want them naked in the pictures I take to send to family. I tend not to make them Christmas themed as they can wear them again new pjs are fun, add a hot chocolate and a film after their bath and they tend to go to sleep better, simply because they've already got to open one present and have chilled out. It's one night a year OP let parents do what they want, I personally don't see the point in elf on the shelf. I don't question anyone who does it though

• What you actually mean is "I don't understand why people keep doing this thing I don't like/understand." Simple answer? Because they want to.*

Tbf if everyone thought like this it would pretty much make AIBU redundant

'Whats the point of Christmas Eve boxes/pjs' has been this year's 'It's Father Christmas, not Santa becasue I'm English and say so ' thread of the season.

I think a Christmas Eve box to start the festivities is a nice thing to do and keep young children amused as they will be very excited.

Hate matching pjs and the elf as it seems all about SM and very look at me from what I’ve seen.

I don't do any of these things but I am able to understand that other people are doing them because they enjoy it. Traditions evolve, change and appear all the time. That's how humanity has always worked.

I think it comes across as very small minded and naive when people are so easily confused and upset by new traditions. The world is a very big place and if you dared to peek out from your tiny little bubble you would see all sorts of diversity that would put this Christmas eve box/pyjamas shock into perspective.

People have fun in different ways, I’m sure you have fun in a way that’s different to me, I wouldn’t judge you for it though.

Why is everyone so defensive to OP?

They must be these people! 😆

I totally get the matching pjs is just a bit of fun and we all need a bit more of that this year.
But what bothers me is that I reckon a lot of people buy them just for the obligatory photo and never wear them again - especially all the celebs posting on Insta etc
Do we still think that’s ok?
Christmas is already a massive materialistic consumer-fest - do we really need to add another wasteful and environmentally unfriendly tradition to it?

We don’t do Christmas Eve boxes or Hallowe’en.

I think matching pyjamas might be quite sweet on Christmas Eve, but I wouldn’t post it on social media! We all dress in nice clothes for Christmas Day.

No elf on the shelf here either; I’m not keen on importing American customs which just commercialise everything.

I’d dress DS up for world book day so he’s joining in; but I’ll be clear it needs to be book characters not film characters!

Christmas is already a massive materialistic consumer-fest - do we really need to add another wasteful and environmentally unfriendly tradition to it?

My kids wear their matching pjs all year round and this year have had onesies which will be handy for swimming lessons / camping. I'm sure it's the same for most families. I don't think many families are well off enough to really only wear them once.

Christmas Trees weren’t very popular before Prince Albert and Queen Victoria 🤷🏻‍♀️. Traditions have to start somewhere. Usually by people nicking ideas from other cultures or trying stuff because they want to and think it’s fun. I’m not sure why it’s hard to understand. Unless you just want to judge and poke fun at people who do the matching pj’s etc?

Each family should have their own traditions and not feel obligated to follow the herd because everyone on SM is in matching PJs, has elf on the shelf and Christmas Eve boxes. They are not obligatory and it's up to parents not to feel pressured into doing things just because. It can be a lesson for DC to understand that different people and different households have different traditions.

We don't do Xmas eve boxes, but the DC always have new pyjamas. For the last few years they've had the Alder Hey ones from Matalan.
I'm not on social media apart from MN.

I'm 46 and always had new pyjamas even as a child - brought up in Liverpool so maybe it's a regional thing?

@Fatas

I don’t understand where all these new traditions have come from. Whole families wearing matching Christmas pyjamas and Christmas Eve boxes.

Do you do it? Or are you also confused?

Is there anyone that does not dress their baby up either for Christmas, Easter, world book day or Halloween? I mean what enjoyment does the baby gain from drawing up. I just find all these new norms a little odd, or am I just miserable?

Is it really a new tradition? What do you class as new?

Growing up we (the children in our family) had new PJs for Christmas Eve and I'm 47. We would sit as a family and watch a Christmas film, have hot chocolate as a treat before bed, etc. We had new outfits to wear on Christmas Day.

Dd is 18y and the 'Christmas fairy' has always delivered a box, via my mum, on Christmas Eve with PJs, sweet treats, some bed socks, etc.

Christmas Eve for us was a;ways a lovely family day, seeing relatives, exchanging gifts before the big day, and then a quiet evening at home in new pyjamas, watching a festive film with a nice supper of treats before laying out Santa's plate.

These aren't 'new norms' for many people. I grew up,in your average working class, council estate home surrounded by people having a family be of traditions and customs for Christmas. And having Christmas Eve treats wasn't uncommon, It might not have had the 'Christmas Eve' box label but was pretty much the same idea.

I hate these "I don't understand' post. You understand perfectly well, you are just judging and expecting others to pile on.

I wouldn't bother with matching pjs or Christmas jumpers, but "understand"?

You do understand, you just don’t approve and want others to validate your snooty outlook.

We did a Christmas Eve present before they were a thing - usually bath bombs and a video or board game - often from the charity shop. Clean children doing a calm activity was the goal. If novelty and wrapping it up made it more attractive, then all the better.

Now the kids are older we don't do it. We struggle enough thinking of what to put in stockings etc, without having to come up with things for Christmas Eve too.

We don't do matching PJ's as the children all have their own taste in clothes, but we do give PJ's or a dressing gown as it's as good a time as any to give them. They got them Christmas Day this year as their present piles were tiny.

I don’t think the OP means just getting a new pair of pjs for Christmas - it’s more the trend that the whole family - parents included - all wear matching Christmas-themed pjs (that I’m sure most never wear again and then they just buy another pair next year as the kids will have grown and last year’s won’t fit but it’s vital for the photo that they all match!)

I think it started just with celebrity families on Insta - e.g. I remember the Beckhams and Ramseys doing it a few years ago - and now it’s a definite trend judging by the number of these photos of ‘normal’ families I’ve seen on fb