What to put in a Christmas Eve Box?

[AnchorPyjamas]

This year will be the first Christmas with a DC and I'm trying to think of traditions to begin that we can keep doing over the years as DC grows up.

I like the idea of a Christmas Eve box with a few things in it but I'm just not sure what. I thought I could put nice new PJs in it each year but I'm not sure what else. I'm reluctant to do too much in it because I'd like most of the festivities to be on Christmas Day itself. Any thoughts or suggestions?

I didn't start a Christmas Eve box until DD was about 4. But I had bought a copy of "Twas the night before Christmas" for her first Christmas, and we read that on Christmas Eve every year, even still (she's about to turn 11).

Our Christmas Eve box has:
Family stuff that is used every year:
Twas the night before Christmas book
Hot water bottle with a Snowman cover
Christmas plate (for Santa's cookies)
Christmas plastic glass (for Santa's milk)
DD's stocking
My Christmassy slipper socks

New stuff:
PJs for DH, DD and I
Slippers/slipper socks for DD
Lush Bath Bomb each for DD and I
(Sometimes a festive or manly shower gel for DH)
Hot Chocolate (I tend to do the "lump of chocolate on a wooden spoon" luxury ones for Christmas) for all 3 of us

We have dinner, DD (as the youngest) lights the Christmas Candle (Irish tradition) and we have a small quiet time together remembering the good and bad things about the year and people no longer with us for Christmas, then the box comes out for DD to set up for Santa and head up for a bath on her way to bed. Comes back down for hot choc and a spare cookie (we bake in the afternoon for Santa), and then story in bed.

The plate and glass, and sometimes the hot water bottle too, have been used throughout December, but are part of the tradition of the Box. DD knows, and always has known, that it is us who do the Box - whereas Santa leaves everything in the stocking. (So she started a few years ago trying to make sure that the "right" PJs were bought, and looking herself for nice ones to get for DH and pointing those out to me!! )

DD will have just turned 3 this year and it's all things to keep her amused on Xmas eve. We're going on the local santa train in the morning and then home to open rhe box and chill, it's DHs first Xmas eve not working so I can't wait.

Some things are recycled from last year, so this year will be:

Snowman / Snowdog DVDs
Xmas sticker book
Peppa Pig Xmas colouring pages
New Pjs
Snowman soup
Bit of chocolate
Night before Xmas book
Santas magic key and tray

New pyjamas
A book
A DVD (short ones like the snowman because DS will only be 2)
A little cellophane cone with hot chocolate and marshmallows

We light the fire, and cuddle up with film in new pyjamas. Total bliss.

I actually like to do the Christmassy pyjamas/DVDs/mugs etc. thing throughout Advent, as for me (when I was a child), the Christmassy build-up during Advent, and the anticipation, was the nicest thing about Christmas. So DD (who is still very young) gets Christmassy pyjamas at the start of December, when we get out our haul of Christmas bedtime books (I add a couple each year), plus Christmassy CDs, mugs and plates.

On Christmas Eve we go to see the local Christingle service, and this year we're planning on coming back and having some soup or stew, followed by some mince pies, and then DD will put out a mince pie, a carrot and a glass of something for Santa. She doesn't really like hot chocolate, but I might allow her to eat some kind of Christmassy treat instead :)

We do :
Festive pj's
Slipper socks
Christmas dvd (so far done Disney ones)
Christmas book to read at bedtime
Popcorn
Hot choc
Little bag of chocs
Reindeer food
We normally have an early bath around 4pm and while in the bath I put the boxes on our bed so when they come into get dry they get them. We then put new pj's on make popcorn and watch dvd. Then do the mince pie and carrott, put the reindeer food out and up to bed. Absolutely love Christmas eve.

I am building a box for my two little ones just now. This thread is so helpful!
Actually noticed the other day that Tesco is doing christmas eve box stuff now. Kind of helpful for picking stuff and ordering it all in one go. www.tesco.com/direct/christmas-eve-boxes-shop-all.event?icid=Christmas_flyoutlink_Christmaseveboxes

When I was little we always got new pjs on Christmas Eve - not in a Christmas box though, my Mum would always just make a speech about how we had "been so good, she had decided to give us one of our presents early", and it was always the pjs.

We also had Christmas mugs which would be dug out with great ceremony, and cries of delighted recognition, together with the stockings. Not on Christmas Eve, they were in the box with the Christmas decorations. It was always the same mugs. I actually think that was even better than getting a new mug every year. I can still remember the design on my mug. Nothing says "Christmas" to me more than that (admittedly hugely naff) picture . It's still in with my parents' Christmas decs, and I still have all my hot drinks when visiting them over the festive period in that mug, (though it's a bit small for a proper cuppa.) My brother's is shaped like a boot, and it sits on his mantelpiece all year round.

I think if I was going to do a Christmas Eve box for the DC, I would put the same things in every year. There's nothing like building up a bit of nostalgia at Christmas time!

Mine varies for e.g. I'm not putting pyjamas in this year as they don't need them, but before bath I bring out a red sack with their stockings that they won't have seen till Christmas Eve, Matey Bubble bath, new character toothbrush and they have new socks instead of pyjamas. Also in there is the night before Christmas book (which is out all of advent anyway) and a Christmas DVD either old or new, hot chocolate in their mugs and something to eat while they're watching it, food and drink for FC and reindeer to set out.

Ours is exactly that, bringing out all the stuff they need for Christmas Eve, only edible and replenishible things are new, or if they need something new for bed.