What on earth is a Christmas Eve box??

[Xmasevewhat]

I've suddenly seen 'Christmas Eve boxes' popping up everywhere. In shops, on Etsy, social feeds. Never even heard of the concept and now all of a sudden it's everywhere.

Can someone explain the point? Seems like they are filled with same kind of things you'd put in a stocking. Be honest, is it just another Instagram fad/ excuse to spend money?

I would far rather that the Lord of Misrule was resurrected from it's ancient pagan origins than something invented in the States in 2005.

Same idea, reimagined in a different format. I'm not sure the classic concept of the Lord of Misrule is workable in modern society. It's a lot better suited to a medieval court.

And I'm not sure what you've got against things that began in 2005 or in the states. Is there something inherently wrong with either of those things?

My cat has a Christmas Eve box.

My cat has a Christmas Eve box.

You will break their brains totally 😂

Used to get a Christmas Eve box as a child, I’d get pyjamas, hot chocolate (the horror 🤨) I think a book and an orange

@JoanThursday1972 is it just a box that the cat sits in?
Cos the cat is a cat?

@Needmorelego

"your colleague didn't have to spend that £10. It wouldn't have been compulsory. She could have said no."

There is immense pressure at work over secret santa. You really are expected to join in or risk being unpopular or marginalised and most people don't want to go to work under that sort of cloud. It is also something the management often push (in the guise of team building I suppose). In which case, you are waving two fingers at the bosses which they can and will use against you. If you are able to not give a flying fig about any of that then fair play. This was a new job for my colleague by the way after a long hard slog to find employment and the last thing she wanted to do was to rock the boat.

Obviously a very successful marketing campaign by the ' Hot Chocolate' barons.

Ok, fuck Secret Santa, although I can think of much more important things that happen throughout the year for people who truly can't spare a tenner.

What's wrong with doing Christmas the way you like it at home? Why are one person's decorations, food and festivities so much better than someone else's?

What's wrong with doing Christmas the way you like it at home? Why are one person's decorations, food and festivities so much better than someone else's?

Thats what I can't get my head around. We all make an effort for Christmas and spend money on things that aren't necessary to survival.

What makes someone think their choices are just right, while someone else's are consumerist tat? It's so arrogant.

We started doing it when the kids were much younger and it’s become a bit of a tradition that they actuallly love. We have a Christmas Eve box that gets used each year. I put their Xmas mugs in it (not new ones) we watch 2 Christmas movies so their DVDs are in there too. New pjs (not necessarily Xmas themed ones), a chocolate stirrer plus marshmallows to make hot chocolate plus either popcorn or christmas biscuits , they also have a Santa board game which we play on Xmas eve. They also have Santa’s magic key which gets left out because we have no chimney!!!!! It doesn’t cost a fortune as some of the items we put in are used every year (the DVDs, board game and Xmas mugs). Mine are teens now but still enjoy the traditions.
I know some people think it’s a bit naff but each to their own and it’s part of our Christmas Eve tradition.

We have 1 December boxes which are all the (freshly washed) Christmas comfies down from the loft - mostly stuff that have been Christmas presents over the years.

We also have the Christmas Eve box which is a very old and well loved copy of The Night Before Christmas, the plate and cup for Father Christmas and Rudolph, and hot chocolate.

It is, admittedly, the same box repurposed that also gets an outing at Easter...

@ginasevern she could have easily spent less than £10 though.
Out of curiosity those that opt out due to religious reasons - would they have been penalised at work in any way?
Secret Santa cannot be made compulsory.

@TheKeatingFive

I agree that the Lord of Misrule would be unworkable in a modern semi. Much more suited to the medieval court or debauched shenanigans in the woods which is largely why it died out about 400 years ago. As for modern American imported "traditions", seriously crack on, but I am really not alone on this one.

Not a new fad. I had one growing up in the 90s. My grandma used to put Xmas PJ's in it to go to bed in/wear Xmas morning, a book, snack/hot chocolate etc. It was about curling up cosy on Xmas eve. I'm doing the same with my daughter but won't be filling it in with the extravagant things people do nowadays.

As for modern American imported "traditions", seriously crack on, but I am really not alone on this one.

But I just don't get the objection. What's wrong with them being American and new? And why do we have to be beholden only to traditions?

I started doing the elf because I thought it would be a bit of fun for my kids. I was right. I'm not massively concerned about its longevity or future 'tradition' status. Why would I be?

We know you're not alone. There's a whole thread of people sneering at it. What none of you have explained is why it's morally wrong and inferior to whatever unnecessary celebratory indulgences you have.

If you don't like boxes and the elf, fine, don't do them, but why do you think that makes you superior? And why are you happy for the Lord of Misrule to be reborn for modern times, but not if it happened via the States in 2005? If the elf were Icelandic and from 1986, would that be better?

And why would I care if you're 'alone' in this either? I don't need anyone's approval.

@TheKeatingFive

I've honestly nothing against you or anyone having fun with your kids. It's lovely to enjoy them while they're young and I really do hope you and yours have a wonderful Christmas (even the elf)! God only knows there's enough doom and gloom in the world. I just don't like to see some of the pressure put on people during this period. I work for a charity and I see some heart breaking stuff, that's all really.

@NonPlayerCharacter

It wasn't my intention to sneer and if it came across that way then I'm sorry. I would never sneer at anyone and I certainly do not feel superior, quite the contrary actually.

You complained about "American manufactured fun", "American consumerism crap", "something invented in the States in 2005" (anyone spotting a theme here?), about things being "not remotely traditional" and all that. It's fine not to like things but I think it's very, very off to insinuate that people who enjoy the elf and the boxes are somehow negatively associated with the terrible heartbreaking things you see in your charity. Would these people all be fine if everyone who likes the boxes and elf suddenly stopped doing them?

I always buy my kids books for Christmas and will give them on Christmas Eve instead of Christmas Day. I occasionally give them some new pyjamas but only if they need them anyway.

No usually a toy and some Dreamies and cat sticks. But the box is always the favourite. #CatsAndBoxes

@JoanThursday1972 does the cat get special Christmas flavour Dreamies or regular ones?

Mine has Christmas presents, even though he never says thank you.

I haven’t read anything but the first few posts as I knew the thread would piss me off.

I have done a Christmas Eve box for about 14 years now. My DS2 had a Christmas Day due date but he was stillborn a little before. When I first heard about these boxes it was meant to from Santa's Elves but I decided to make ours from my DS2. He borrows Santa magic and sends his big and little brother a box of treats.

They're too old (16 and 19) to believe their brother sends the box but those years they believed were AMAZING. He’d give them pyjamas and all year they’d delightedly tell me they were wearing DS2s pyjamas every time they put them on. The things in the box we'd reuse were "DS's things" and they were excited to use them every Christmas. I did put gifts in the box too - I don’t get to buy my DS2 gifts so it was nice to have him give his brothers presents instead. Made me happy.

It would have been so easy for Christmas to be a difficult time but this box gave me something positive to focus on. It let us all talk about DS2 in a happy way and a way to bring him into the family every year.

It was a post on MN that taught me about these boxes.

So fuck off with all the snobby, dickish posts. You don’t have a bloody clue why anyone does the things you do. You jump straight to the most negative things you can think of which says so much about who you are as a person.

And no, I don’t suppose many others have the same reason as me but 99% of the time anyone does this box is because it’s reason to bring another moment of joy to their children. The same as visiting Santa, or going to see a Pantomime etc and I don’t see people posting about wasting money on those.