Page 22 | What on earth is a Christmas Eve box??

Xmasevewhat · 2023-12-04T14:58:07+00:00

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?

TheKeatingFive · 05/12/2023 18:09

That's such a lovely story @OvO ♥️

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 05/12/2023 18:12

OvO · 05/12/2023 18:01

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.

This is a wonderful tradition and I’m sure your children are all so grateful for it. What a lovely way to keep your precious baby’s memory alive!

NonPlayerCharacter · 05/12/2023 18:15

I'm so sorry for your loss, @OvO .That's a beautiful way to keep your son's memory alive.

ginasevern · 05/12/2023 18:19

@NonPlayerCharacter

"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."

Don't be silly. How on earth have you made that connection. You are getting utterly over wrought because I said that many parents are under huge financial pressure at Christmas. That's a fact, they are. However, to suggest that I actually think your elf on the shelf is to blame is daft in the extreme.

Iateallllllthepies · 05/12/2023 18:19

Fightarealfire · 05/12/2023 17:39

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

Show quote history

My cat always got christmas presents and his own little christmas dinner. We lost him after 17 years this summer, we’ll all miss that!

neverbeenskiing · 05/12/2023 18:21

letspopthekettleon · 04/12/2023 15:23

A disgusting and completely wasteful greedy use of the worlds resources for 'keeping up with the joneses' type gross parents.

Should be bloody boycotted!!

My DC each have a wooden Christmas Eve box. They've had them from when they were babies and they get re-used every year. Inside they get pyjamas which will be worn all year round (and handed-down to a younger relative when eventually outgrown), a book (which will either be kept and re-read or donated to a charity shop when no longer wanted), a new ornament to hang on the tree (which will also be re-used every year) and something consumable like a christmas biscuit or chocolate coins.

Please explain how any of these things are at all "wasteful" or draining "the worlds resources"? It's not a fad or "keeping up with the Joneses", it's about tradition. My parents did the same for me and I was born in the 80's! I suppose they were "gross parents" as well 🙄

Iateallllllthepies · 05/12/2023 18:21

@OvO that’s such a lovely way to remember your son. What wonderful memories to treasure.

TheKeatingFive · 05/12/2023 18:25

However, to suggest that I actually think your elf on the shelf is to blame is daft in the extreme.

Then why do you have an issue with it?

You've never really explained that

NonPlayerCharacter · 05/12/2023 18:28

ginasevern · 05/12/2023 18:19

@NonPlayerCharacter

"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."

Don't be silly. How on earth have you made that connection. You are getting utterly over wrought because I said that many parents are under huge financial pressure at Christmas. That's a fact, they are. However, to suggest that I actually think your elf on the shelf is to blame is daft in the extreme.

The connection is yours. You've been telling us how terrible the elf and so on are because they make poor people feel bad and you've seen terrible things with your charity. I don't know what those things are, but I'll be very, very surprised if they were caused by people enjoying Christmas Eve boxes and elf on the shelf with their families, so whatever the connection is, perhaps you can explain since you made it.

And perhaps you can also explain why all the things you spend money on - which do sound as if they cost more than a soft toy, or a box with a few bits in - are somehow not responsible for this financial pressure that is apparently caused so much by the elf. (£6.49 on Amazon. Not bad for ten or so years of Christmas kiddie fun...)

TheKeatingFive · 05/12/2023 18:33

And perhaps you can also explain why all the things you spend money on - which do sound as if they cost more than a soft toy, or a box with a few bits in - are somehow not responsible for this financial pressure

Im puzzled by this too. The poster has a lovely Christmas herself, with presents, lovely food, booze.

Im not sure why this is acceptable in the face of familles who struggle at Christmas, but other people's relatively modest practices are not.

irritation2345678 · 05/12/2023 18:42

@ginasevern here's your arse, handed to you in a Christmas Eve box

RainbowNinja77 · 05/12/2023 18:57

We’ve done it for years. The kids get their new pyjamas to sleep in on Christmas Eve, some snacks, and a couple of card games that we all play together. We have always done it as something to do together on Christmas Eve.

RainbowNinja77 · 05/12/2023 19:01

Choosychoice · 04/12/2023 15:00

Endless tat which is a grade A waste of the worlds resources. People actually buy pjs to put in them for the use of the Christmas period, then buy a new set of pjs next year.

Alternatively, people buy PJs and buy more next year because the kids have grown out of them 🤷🏼‍♀️ I’m going to buy them either way, what difference does it make what day of the year I give them on?

RainbowNinja77 · 05/12/2023 19:03

letspopthekettleon · 04/12/2023 15:23

A disgusting and completely wasteful greedy use of the worlds resources for 'keeping up with the joneses' type gross parents.

Should be bloody boycotted!!

Yes, my PJs and a card game (that would be given on the next day anyway) are so much better than the Joneses 🤣 Grinch.

Manthide · 05/12/2023 19:06

I think new pjs (non Christmas) and reading a Christmas story probably with a hot chocolate was pretty standard growing up - and I'm 58! But it was never presented in a box and I've never before thought of it in that way.

Moonlightdust · 05/12/2023 19:57

Growing up, we were always allowed to open one present on Xmas Eve - this was usually a gift already under the tree from a friend/relative.
Now I have my kids, we adapted this tradition to an Xmas Eve hamper - full of lots of festive foods that the whole family gets to enjoy over the hols. I have given my kids new pjs on Xmas Eve but not necessarily festive ones - only because I think it’s nice for them to wake up on Xmas day in nice jew pyjamas!

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 05/12/2023 20:15

only because I think it’s nice for them to wake up on Xmas day in nice jew pyjamas!

There is something extra nice about new pjs. Not sure about Jew pyjamas though. 😜

YuleDragon · 05/12/2023 20:17

i think the only bit of consumerism i don't like at christmas is Christmas Jumper Day.. but i don't moan about it, i just choose not to buy them, and then let everyone else get on with it.

What's distasteful is the sneery superiority of disapproval. If its not your particular seasonal kink, then fine, but don't try and belittle other people who choose to do it.

BeingATwatItsABingThing · 05/12/2023 20:25

YuleDragon · 05/12/2023 20:17

i think the only bit of consumerism i don't like at christmas is Christmas Jumper Day.. but i don't moan about it, i just choose not to buy them, and then let everyone else get on with it.

What's distasteful is the sneery superiority of disapproval. If its not your particular seasonal kink, then fine, but don't try and belittle other people who choose to do it.

Again, I buy a Christmas jumper for myself and then wear it for as long as it fits/doesn’t have holes in it. When I buy my DC Christmas jumpers, I get the size up from what they are so it’s a bit big one year, perfect the following year and potentially a smidge small the following year but still wearable. DD1’s are then passed down to DD2 and will be passed down to DS when he’s here. They’re also worn for the whole festive period so it doesn’t feel like consumerism.

Somethingsnappy · 05/12/2023 20:39

Anyone seen Krampus about this evening?

Somethingsnappy · 05/12/2023 21:05

P. S. All this talk of gift giving on Christmas Eve got me thinking about other long-standing European traditions... 😀

Badgerandfox227 · 05/12/2023 21:09

I do a 1st December one so the kids get the wear out of their PJs

ChristmasSugarplumFairy · 05/12/2023 22:00

OvO · 05/12/2023 18:01

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.

My DS2 was also stillborn and he brings his siblings a stocking each year, always gifts of a certain theme which was on the sleepsuit he was dressed in.
I love that we have both found a way for our precious boys to have their own special place in their family at Christmas 💐

OvO · 05/12/2023 22:53

@ChristmasSugarplumFairy, I’m happy that there's other families out there doing the same as us. Well not happy, but you know what I mean. It really does help bring them into special family moments. ❤️

Gem2345 · 06/12/2023 07:02

My children are 11&12 and I’ve always done a Christmas Eve box. I don’t buy all new things, I put in things we have in the house. The box itself is a wooden box I purchased from eBay 12 years ago. In the box when they were little I would put some Christmas themed books, a Christmas dvd, their Christmas mugs or beakers, hot chocolate (all things I had already), chocolate coins, new pyjamas and bath stuff. Now it’s more of a family Christmas Eve box, so our Christmas mugs go in, pyjamas, hot chocolate and snacks ready for us to get cosy and watch a Christmas film. I don’t know about anyone else but my kids wear Christmas pyjamas all year round 😆 so they never feel like a waste. I have purchased two new books for the box this year as my two are book mad and simply love to read, two of their favourite authors have written new Christmas themed books so I picked them up on Amazon half price a while ago. Personally it’s a lovely tradition in our home, it doesn’t cost much because I have most of the contents and it is something I hope we are still doing many Christmas from now. 🎄