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?

They’ve been around for years. Some families like to do them to add to the Christmas enjoyment for their kids. Some people don’t like them, both things are fine.

Wow, a lot of Ebeneezer Scrooges on here passing judgement and bitterness on people’s Christmas’s. They have been about for years , our’s ( which is not posted on Instagram) brings baking bits for us to make for Santa in Christmas Eve and often a new apron etc and book and PJ’s . Our elves are then put to bed in the box for Santa to take on his sleigh ready to take back with him. Yes it could all be gimmick/marketing, and some may use this to validate how Christmassy they are being with their family; but for us it’s an extra layer of keeping the magic alive and my DC love it all!

We don’t do a Christmas Eve box but I don’t think the underlying concept (some new PJs and a book on Christmas Eve) is anything particularly new or offensive. I remember getting new PJs and a hot chocolate on Christmas Eve in the 80s. It’s just putting them in a box that’s new, and whilst that isn’t for me (just because I don’t like unnecessary boxes as I find them hard to store), I don’t see anything that dreadful about it.

We do christmas pjs, a book or a small game and snacks for christmas eve. It’s the same box we use each year. However we do wear the pjs out of season the rest of the time! In a year or two all the pjs that the hubby and I will own will be christmas ones from years gone by. I like it - but it should be seen as a part of the build up to christmas, not so extravagant you’re all gifted out by the next day.

Yes! Best post by far, agree with all of this.

Sniff of a satsuma 😂

It's definitely not a new thing, I would say only the name is new, my oldest is mid 30's, I've always wrapped pyjamas, coloring books and a Christmas film and put them under the tree, the kids got to open them after their baths on Christmas Eve.

The best posts are done in faux ignorance because people on mumsnet also don’t use social media either of course.

Yes, the faux ignorance is the most irritating bit. Why not just say ‘I’ve seen other people giving their children Christmas Eve boxes. It’s new to me and I’m judgmental and I don’t like it, what does everyone else think?’

There was a thread on here a while ago entitled ‘I don’t understand snacks’ and it was a judgmental post from someone who thought other people give their children too many snacks between meals. But this type can’t just say they don’t like it or they disapprove. They always have to pretend they don’t understaaaaand and need it explaining.

The fake ignorance drives me nuts. I get it, they're trying to imply that this thing they're judging is so objectively shit that it's actually incomprehensible why anyone would do it, but given it never actually is, it just looks like someone claiming to be thick as two short planks and expecting praise for it. They always get incredibly offended if you go along with it and ask them what it is about pyjamas, bath bombs, snacks or hot chocolate that is actually beyond their wit.

Just be straight up judgemental, superior and boastful if you want to be; at least it's honest and to thine own self be true if that's your thing. Stop pretending to be stupid on top of it.

i think its bad use of language more than faux ignorance sometimes.

They want to know why people choose to do a thing that they don't like/don't agree with, so rather than just ask "Can you explain why you do XYZ" they instead say "I don't understand why people do it"

You don't have to understand it, you just have to accept it.

I've always advocates (around Christmas especially as that's where it gets heated, but as a principle generally) that "you do you".

Families and individuals have different life experiences, family/religious/heritage/personal experiences shaping their outlook, circumstance they face all the time or at a particular point, resources (money, food, housing etc - and ability to get things even if they have the money to)....families change over time - people are sick or have SNs that need catering to, emergencies happen so illness or suddenly no car or a flood happened one year and somebody gave them something (like PJs and a hot chocolate package) that stuck afterwards....

So what is normal for you is very abnormal for someone else.

It's great to get ideas from lots of others and decide what suits you and yours to try at a point in time. That can change as well - it doesn't work at all, or is great with small DC but need to change as they get older...

But there's no need to slag others off about what they do, or don't do, around any particular season/holiday/life event.

I think that might not satisfy the asker's real purpose. Nobody needs an explanation of why people enjoy Christmas Eve boxes or whatever; it's obvious why and it makes the asker look genuinely thick or too obviously not asking in good faith.

Dress it up instead as being so refined that the reason actually baffles you, and you get your superiority, stealth boast and judgement in while retaining plausible deniability about it (well, not plausible at all because it's obvious, but you know what I mean).

Mine do have new non-festive pyjamas and a book they open on Christmas Eve but it’s just an early Christmas gift to get them a bit excited. I refuse to buy the boxes though- mainly as big books for youngster kids don’t even fit in, nor PJs, and I’m not starting filling them up with sugar to make them bounce off the walls even more than they already do. They eat a lot of sugar Christmas Day too - and throughout the Christmas period. They also have plenty of craft stuff all year round and more on Xmas Day. 🙈Also the environment.

But each to their own. Don’t care what other people do and they shouldn’t care about what I do or don’t do.

Never actually did boxes with my children who are grown ups now but we did have hot chocolate, biscuits and Polar Express... then up to bed to read The Night Before Christmas. No-one should be telling anyone how to celebrate do it your own way and enjoy... Happy Christmas and I won't mention the breakfast bags that I do for my children and their families...delivered Christmas Eve by me and filled with treats...oops!

DS has in his; new (non festive ) pyjamas, a mug (same one every year) a copy of the night before Christmas (same one he's had since his first Christmas) and a lush bath bomb. We go to carol service come back light a fire open the box have hot chocolate watch a Christmas film, bath with the bath bomb, new PJs on then bed.
It's the same routine we had as children albeit without a box.

Not necessarily. Why does everything nice have to be for Instagram? I'm not even on Instagram and i enjoy buying nice things for my kid. Her Christmas eve box will contain a White Fox hoodie which she hasn't asked for but I know is a brand teens like and a few other nice cosy bits I know she's not expecting but will like. I just like treating my kid 🤷‍♀️

I love it every year when the Baffled of Tunbridge Wells' turn up to express surprise and dismay at this modern monstrosity of consumerism that is Christmas Eve boxes and assure each other that it's a new thing, an import from America and their children only want a wooden toy, a packet of seeds and a sensible pair of shoes the next day. Blithely ignoring all the posters who say their parents and grandparents did them, they're not full of plastic and are a lovely family tradition.
For what it's worth my mum did them for me and my brother and we're in our fourties. We always had new pyjamas (which, shock horror, we wore for the rest of the year), some Christmas Matey, a video, a book for me and toy for my brother and our Christmas mugs with our names on. It all meant she had a bit of time to drink her coffee and get on with bits without us constantly interrupting or bickering.
I now live in a country where Christmas is celebrated on the 24th but my children get new pyjamas as presents and something nice for the bath/shower so that we can get home from my in-laws, have baths or showers, put pyjamas on and watch a film together to wind down.

Like others have said- pjs, chocs and books. We put the fire on in the evening, do the box and get cosy. It’s a tradition that has evolved from my own childhood as we’re Scandinavian. I’m not vacuous or wasteful with money and I don’t post on social media. No need to sneer at what brings others joy

We have boxes that we reuse every year and I put in chocolates, stationary, pyjamas and a set of books. We don't celebrate Christmas as such (muslim) but it's a nice way of celebrating the holidays and everything gets eaten or used throughout the year.

They’ve been around for quite a few years, I’ve been doing them for my daughter for maybe 7-8 years. Generally it’s given on Christmas Eve morning and contains special things for that day- a craft activity or cinema/panto ticket, ingredients to make a treat for Santa plus new pjs (not Xmas ones as That limits their use). Not really an extra expense as I’d buy these things anyway-more just making a “thing” of it.

This might make some clutch at their pearls but I have been known to wear Christmas PJ’s at times other than Christmas. Even in the height of summer. The Pyjama Police don’t exist!

The whole thing about "Christmas Pyjamas"....
Several years ago - when onesies were all the rage even for adults - I went camping. It may have been August but once the sun was down it was fricking freezing. Practically everyone in that campsite was dressed in fluffy warm onesies and most were some variation of Christmas themed. Because obviously they had originally bought in winter - aka Christmas 😂
It was a campsite essentially full of giant Christmas themed Tellytubbies. Awesome.
Christmas Jammies are not just for Christmas!

My DS’s are 16 and 23 now but I did Xmas eve boxes for years when they were younger. Usually had in new Xmas PJ’s, Xmas activity or stickers books, hot chocolate with sprinkles and marshmallows and a Christmas story book. It was nice to sit together on Xmas eve and do activities and read. I miss those days 😢

I did see one for sale for two pounds in Asda today ! I haven't got little children any more and never did any of this when they were young , but my first thought ' yet another money spinner'

And two whole pounds! They'll be cackling in their castles as they think of all the poor sods who aren't enlightened enough to realise that companies make money off Christmas. Wow, you're way ahead, you are!

Questioning gifting hot choc to a little one is sad…why bother gifting wine? or chocolates? Or coffee? Etc. At least it won’t be wasted.

If your kid loves hot choc, they’ve probably love a little special one for themselves and the excitement of knowing they’ll have one that night or deciding when they’d like to have it (it’s theirs). Like everything you don’t have to buy into mini stuff. Can just pop some bulk bought choc in an empty jar with some marshmallows.