Why new pyjamas?

[shrimponastick]

Reading through a few threads and many posters mention new pyjamas on Christmas Eve.

What is the tradition behind this??

I had never heard of it before.

Well the whole dressing-up-for-photos thing is false isn't it? Here we all are in our lovely snuggly pyjamas. It puts me in mind of a Good Housekeeping photo shoot.

I've not done it before, but planning to start this year. Not bothering with DP or myself but the DDs will get new ones each. DD1 could actually do with some now, but I'm holding out til Christmas.

Has anyone seen any girls PJs in christmasy colours, but not necessarily festive ones?

I bought Christmas Eve pjs for my eldest before discovering mumsnet and reading all about other people's lovely traditions! For us it was a 'go to bed nice and early' incentive!!! Now it's a well established tradition both my boys love. And THIS year I will introduce the 'wrapping paper over the lounge door for them to burst through tradition' - absolute genius!!

Fred There's nothing wrong with looking nice in pictures!

Fred surely by that logic you shouldn't even have Christmas. It isn't representative of the rest of the year. The tree shouldn't be in any pictures either. Also if you are not a practicing Christian you should not be celebrating Christmas as that is false too. And even if you are a Christian you shouldn't have a tree as that is pagan . . .

I'm 37 and my mum did it for us and I do it for DD now, but there's a ritual that goes with it...

Just when you think the anticipation on Christmas Eve has already reached fever pitch after watching "It's a Wonderful Life" and being allowed some chocolates off the tree, Mum comes in and says "I think I heard something outside" (cue dad tinkling some bells in the hallway). All rush to back door, find new PJ's slippers and dressing gown wrapped up outside. Mum confidently states that Santa has started his rounds, and they've obviously fallen off his sleigh early, so that means everyone needs to get a bath, into new pyjamas and get to sleep because he could arrive any minute now (and we all know Santa doesn't deliver to children who are awake)

and Mum and Dad can start putting the bikes/dolls houses together whilst getting tipsy on Baileys

Love it.

at FredWorms humbug
Sadly it's only DC who get new PJ's here so in our photos they are very festive and good housekeeping where as I am bleary eyed and braless and DH is a PJ refuser so he is hairy chested!

I'm another one who shamelessly nicked the tradition from the Internet (not actually MN - before I saw the error of my ways I used a different forum, not nethuns I hasten to add :o)

We didn't have any traditions from our own shitty childhoods so we just picked a few that sounded nice to start us off when we had DCs. The elves deliver them along with a nice tree decoration each (so they build up their own special collection over the years), and we will probably do the whole festive DVD/book/hot chocolate etc (we would do some nice bubble bath as a treat but DS has eczema so isn't allowed it).

They need jammies anyway, as well as underwear and socks, so they aren't extras, we just time it so they get some nice ones when they just get cheapie ones otherwise. I don't like overly Xmassy ones myself, this year they are getting character ones from Disney store (£12 each)

DH is getting new funky socks and Where's Wally boxers :o

We don't take pictures but dd has pj's. Tradition, ritual. Adds to the feelings of security and sameness. Shes already mentioned how much she's looking forward to some new ones (aged 14).

Along with hot chocolate with marshmallows to take up to bed to aid sleep.

If you have lots of lovely family rituals it increases feelings of security.

Because Christmas Eve is the most exciting night of the year and one should be fittingly dressed

Of course there's nothing wrong with looking naice in pictures, but I'm getting images of these awful posed affairs where everything's too perfect. I can't stand pics of children opening presents, either. It's all a bit "look at my child's marvellous childhood".

Sometimes I think parents spend more time peering through a lens than actually living the moment.

notso, pleased to see someone's not taking me too seriously

I think your Christmas day pics might look a little like mine (if I got 'round to taking any!). DP is also a hairy-chested pyjama-free zone.

Because cold ankles + Christmas eve excitement is not a good combination for getting the dcs asleep quickly.

Now ds1 is 13 it is not "cool' to wear any kind of pjs, so he is usually showered and dressed before he comes downstairs. If he didn't have Christmas pjs to put on, I'd go mad waiting for present opening time.

They only cost a fiver in Primani and Christmas design or not, they last all year. Nowt wrong with penguins and reindeer in July.

I only heard about it on here, but it's a great idea so we're doing it - all my Christmas photos of me as a child I'm wearing old, slightly grey or too short jammies, it's a good way to make sure they look decent I have degreed both DH and I should have new jammies too.

I've never heard of this before, maybe because I grew up with Xmas in summertime! I think it's a great idea and I'm going to do it this year now!

We've done it for the past couple of years (after reading about it on here!) It adds to the specialness of Christmas eve night (and you need to buy them new PJs at sometime anyway so why not make it part of Christmas?) The DCs love it and would not get nearly so excited about new items of clothing at any other time

We do it so ds looks nice in the photos. That's it really. I would buy them anyway so just hold one pair back and last year ds had lovely fleecy ones that were dirt cheap from primark and are still going strong, he has them on tonight actually :) I so hate the whole Christmas hamper shebang though tbh, it's all a bit... Too much.

I think it's lovely and never heard of it before. But just one question.... Do you wash them before!?! I have to wash all new clothes, I know it's a bit anal!!

yes I wash them first like all clothes, they still feel nice and new though

We always do it, normally some nice M&S ones with reindeers or something festive on!

We've done it since I heard about it from MN.

It's like everyone else says, they need new pj's at some point so getting a new pair on Xmas eve isn't an 'extra present'. And it does get them ready for bed much faster, I leave them on their pillows to discover after I've bellowed at them to get to bed.

We also do 'back to school' pj's at the start of september for the night before the term begins.

I never wash clothes first

Going against the grain but agree with Fred! Sorry, just sounds a bit too much like over enthusiastic parents trying to inject more forced fun into Christmas when it's not needed.

I do love the festive season, but the pjs just seems a bit OTT.

You wash new clothes?

Why?

I've always bought 2 pairs of new PJs and they go in with the FC presents. He needs pyjamas, I spend a bit more on better quality ones because they're a present, and they last all year.

I did the hamper thing last year and it was a present from me, rather than FC. It made me feel all warm and fuzzy, but I'm not sure if I'll do again this year. I would have bought everything in it anyway (mostly useful), but I did feel it might increase DS's expectation of gifts.

He'll still get the pyjamas though, whether in the FC presents or in hamper.