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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To do Christmas eve boxes December 1st

42 replies

Differentstarts · 01/12/2024 08:18

To think it makes more sense to do Christmas eve boxes today rather then Christmas eve so the kids can enjoy the stuff throughout December. It seems a waste to get new Christmas pyjamas and Christmas related toys and activities just for 1 day

OP posts:
GreyLurker · 01/12/2024 08:49

I’ve never got the point of a Christmas Eve box, I just used to take mine for a long walk to exhaust then so they slept.
However, this makes much more sense to me and I absolutely can get on board with an advent box.

iridescentsnowflake · 01/12/2024 08:49

No ‘boxes’ at any time here but on the 1st the DC get an advent calendar and new Christmas Pyjamas. They get plenty of wear; I size up so they’re still wearing the ones from last year and the year before, and they wear them all year! Candy canes also appear on the tree to have with their hot chocolate throughout December, as well as chocolate tree decorations. The same Christmas books get brought out every year (as we built up the collection over years and there are lots of them!).

MyLoftySwan · 01/12/2024 08:49

Cnidarian · 01/12/2024 08:30

Just me that has their kids in their Christmas PJs till they don't fit then? Isn't that the point of getting PJs over day clothes?

Mine are still wearing last year's and have all year 🤣 they are spring born so I always size up. I play the game of "can I get two Christmas's out of them 🤣

GridlockonMain · 01/12/2024 08:52

I think it’s fine to do it whenever suits you, but I also think it’s good if the Christmas Eve box contains things that can either be consumed immediately, used throughout the year, or saved for repeated use every year. My son’s has pyjamas but they’re not explicitly Christmas themed so he wears them all winter (they’re usually tartan), a hot chocolate and an iced biscuit that he eats on Christmas Eve, a Christmas decoration to put on his tree and a book (not usually Christmassy specifically).

Goldbar · 01/12/2024 08:55

We do advent boxes not Christmas Eve boxes. The kids get:

  • Hot chocolate
  • Marshmallows
  • A Christmas sticker book
  • A couple of Christmas story books
  • Christmas pyjamas
  • Christmas jumper
  • A Christmas baking kit
  • Gingerbread house
  • A chocolate coin

I buy myself a new Christmas candle, some Christmas music and some nice chocolates. And we usually get a few Christmas crafts.

The idea is that it's some things we can enjoy/do together during December. Personally, I always enjoy the lead-up to Christmas more than Christmas itself, which is always a bit too busy.

CleverLimeDeer · 01/12/2024 09:00

DappledThings · 01/12/2024 08:36

I got over the "problem" of this by just buying them because they needed new pyjamas and it happened to be December so some available were Christmas themed and then they wore them whenever until they grew out of them.

Do people really buy new ones every December then pack them away in January not to be seen again until next December? That's so weird.

No my friend bought for all family then gets the same set out each year. Having 4 children she reckons that the largest set will be in use for about 10 Decembers by the time child 4 gets too big to wear them. That sounds quite a bit of wear to me.

GETTINGLIKEMYMOTHER · 01/12/2024 09:22

CleverLimeDeer · 01/12/2024 08:25

YABU. The clue is in the name Christmas EVE box. The idea is to give children something to get them into Christmas excitement. Reading a thread the other day I was reminded that many children get new Christmas PJs so that Granny gets photo of children in new matching or certainly not mismatched PJs as they open presents on Christmas Day. In my family today is the start of Advent so the calendars are brought out to be opened. The candle will be burnt down later. The Christmas journey unfolds over the next 24 days. No need to rush it all.

I don’t recall my dds ever needing anything to ‘get them into Christmas excitement’! Nor did I at the same age. Children who still believe in 🎅🏻are usually fizzing with it anyway on Christmas Eve.

But if I was going to do 🎄boxes at all, I’d do them on 1st Dec, to get a lot more use out of whatever was in them, and maybe call them Advent boxes.

Geneticsbunny · 01/12/2024 09:42

You could call them advent boxes?

Btw Christmas is 12 days long and starts on Christmas day and finishes on the 6th of Jan.
A lot of people don't realise this nowadays.

LoquaciousPineapple · 01/12/2024 11:29

I definitely agree that most of the suggestions for "Christmas Eve boxes" make a lot more sense to be used all month/whenever you start the festive season rather than Christmas Eve itself. It seems silly to give Christmas pyjamas on Christmas Eve and barely get any wear out of them.

We have a box of things that comes down on December 1st for use throughout the month, and a smaller box that has the Christmas Eve/Day specific bits and pieces in. So technically we do both, but really it's just storing the things we'd use anyway in nice boxes and going "ooh" as we get them out.

People moaning about Christmas Eve boxes makes me roll my eyes though. Yes some people go OTT with them, but what a fucking killjoy you'd have to be to moan about the concept as a whole.

Tatiepot · 02/12/2024 11:16

On the basis of this thread, I've just brought my home-made wreath indoors to enjoy it whilst it's still fresh rather than hoping it'll last in the shed until I'm ready to decorate later in the month...and I can see this new approach being one of our traditions from now on :)

RabbitsEatPancakes · 02/12/2024 11:20

We do December boxes. It has advent calender, any Xmas clothes/ pjs/ crafts/ some Xmas sweets/snacks, a Dec for the tree.

I prefer it to the constant trickle of buying Xmas tat through December. More special. They get it the day after the tree is decorated. They save the Xmas sweets/ snacks to take for Xmas days out.

TheChosenTwo · 02/12/2024 11:23

I think a December box would make most sense if you’re going to do them.
I don’t do them but if you are into it then at least let them get the use out of the stuff.

MumonabikeE5 · 02/12/2024 11:24

Celebrating the start of advent, sounds like a nice thing to do. You could drip feed on all the holy Sundays between now and Christmas Day.

Makingchocolatecake · 02/12/2024 17:17

I hate all these boo baskets, December 1st boxes, Christmas eve boxes.

Just buy them a pair of Christmas pyjamas and an advent calendar. It doesn't need to be a thing or go in a special box!

Isn't Christmas exciting enough on it's own?

thehousewiththesagegreensofa · 02/12/2024 17:46

We've never done a Christmas Eve box but from DD's first Christmas 15 years ago when she just a few weeks old, 1st Dec was when I began putting her in Christmassy babygros.
Yesterday, they had their advent calendars & new PJs (DD had a wintery theme; teen DS' were plain) and we put the Christmas bedding on and got out the Christmas crockery as well as decorating the house,
I do a load of washing most days so just put the PJs in too and they can wear them pretty much every day in December or as and when but making sure they are being worn on Xmas Eve

Anonycat · 02/12/2024 17:51

The whole concept of "Christmas Eve boxes" is ridiculous. Buy them an advent calendar, and Christmas pyjamas if you really want to (how long do they wear them for? Don’t they grow out of them by next Christmas?) but needing extra toys and tat the day before Christmas is just a marketing ploy that seems to have been horribly successful. (Bah humbug.)

KittenOnTheTable · 02/12/2024 17:53

Have yous seen the latest brrr baskets. So similar to boo baskets but Xmas themed. I do a box with stuff in it to keep them busy over December for example hot chocolate, colouring book and fake snow stuff like that and pj's

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