Christmas Eve Boxes - what's the point?

[imaddictedtomn]

My friend and I were out today and saw a place selling Christmas Eve boxes.

The woman selling them said they were very popular.

Is this a thing now?

My friend and I were of the same mind - Do DC's not get enough on Christmas Day that they have to have more stuff on Christmas Eve?

Or are we missing something?

@IToldYouIWasFreaky
I mentioned the reindeer food! I'm not sure what kind of glitter my mum used.. all I know is that my daughter still has a few bits of it on her scalp! I've tried and tried to get it off but I won't budge haha!
I have to wash her hair a lot as it's so long and she always manages to get food in it. (Even when tied up!) so I don't understand how the glitter is still there!

We always got nice pjs for Christmas Eve after midnight mass - I'm assuming cos we'd have visitors round in the morning, I'm going back maybe 15 years here? I'm not planning on doing Christmas Eve box for my kids, just new pjs like my mum got me and a Christmas movie (which will be on Netflix's ) and jobs done!

I I think it gives a certain je ne sais quoi. Makes it really special.

It seems popular with working class culture who take photos of mounds of presents.

As opposed to middle class culture who revel in making their DC miss out?

*Disclaimer - I don’t believe any kids miss out

Ha Buzz17! Glitter gets everywhere, doesn't it?
I'm sure you can get edible stuff though, or those coloured sugar crystals you use for baking would give the same effect but dissolve away.

How snobby to suggest its a "working class thing". I bet your kids would love it but don't mind that, far better to be seen as middle class. Are you hyacinth bucket by any chance?

Honestly for us it’s part of the routine for Christmas that makes getting them settled for bed easier. Ours isn’t a fancy box though, it’s DPs boot box wrapped in Christmas paper. We have PJs, popcorn, hot chocolate and a DVD in it and they munch the popcorn, drink the hot chocolate (which is a treat rather than an every day thing) and make paper chains before tootling happily off to bed.

@2014newme
It seems popular with working class culture what a nasty thing to say

My DM and DF did it with us years ago, dad made the box with old pallet wood and it has mine and my siblings names on it. We got it pretty early in the day as it always contained panto tickets (cinema tickets when we were older) for later that evening.

And not that it matters but my parents are not "working class" and neither of them have facebook.

It is just a tradition you don't have to take part...

What would they love? A box brought by elves?

It's not a tradition at all.

Surely traditions are different from family to family.

My parents did a christmas eve box for us for over 20 years... so for my family it is a tradition.

Like I said you don't have to take part if you think it is to "working class" for you....

Looks like someone needs a 2018newme.

We keep hot chocolate for things like Christmas eve or camping trips so that it feels special. Yes they could have it everyday but then what would you do on the occasions. Champagne is only special because you don't have it everyday if you did it wouldn't be special anymore.

I found it was a good way of getting over excited children into bed: new PJs, film and a milky drink.

Last year I bought a box to put the things in. I like Christmas Eve more than Christmas Day.

I'm as middle class as cashmere bed socks :)

We've always done it in our family. And we only buy a couple of token presents on the 25th, plus a stocking so it's hardly a deluge of stuff so you can whip your undercrackers out of your judgmental bottoms on that account.

Regardless, if I wanted to ride into my mansion with a jewel encrusted 24ct gold box of expensive fripperies, surrounded by my servants dressed as elves, it still wouldn't be anybody's business bar my own.

Shock horror, people make different choices.

But why does hot chocolate need to be kept special? But not any other drinks. I don't get it.

I don't get it. They get presents the next day so fuck that shit. Plus Xmas jamas on Xmas eve seems pointless.

Christmas Eve here is a boozy mince pie fest with the neighbours and then midnight mass.

Because it’s not a treat if it’s an every day occurrence?

It's not a tradition at all.

And? Are you only allowed to do things for your children at Christmas because it's tradition? Not because you just think it would be a nice thing to do?

Anyway, clearly for some families it is a tradition - something that they used to do as children and are now doing with their kids.

You seriously don't get that people do things differently to you?

Hot chocolate doesn't NEED to be special for everyone. Some people have it on special occasions. Their choice.

2014newme

Just because you don’t understand something, doesn’t make it OK to be snobby and patronising to those who do. Some people enjoy making the boxes, and drinking not chocolate for Christmas Eve. You don’t. Why do other people’s harmless traditions (and they are traditions if families choose to repeat them) offend you so much? Nobody’s coming around your house to force feed you hot chocolate in new pyjamas.

Because it is full of sugar and shouldn't be drank every day

Because small children don't like champagne or whisky?

If it is the hot chocolate that bothers you so much then feel free to use horlicks or ovaltine.

You are going all out GF on this thread 2014newme

But why are people so keen on hot chocolate being this amazing thing that may only be sampled on high days and holidays? As opposed to any other drinks being categorised such. I don't understand it. It has no x as connection, you can drink it any time, it's cheap, you can buy it anywhere it's 50p fir a kids one with marshmallows in Costa.
It's a hot drink. That's it.

We always had pjs on Christmas Eve and that was 30 years ago! I've always done this for my girls too! I have changed in recent years though to a 1st December gift. They have their new pjs and I put their Christmas bedding on, the advent calendars and box of Christmas dvds and books come out and then there is always some sort of Christmas chocolate. I also do a small scale north pole breakfast the first Saturday or Sunday in December (shoot me now lol) It basically is made up of the following:-
Milk in glass milk bottles with a marshmallow topper and I buy a black icing pen to draw a face on it and buttons down the bottle and tie a bit of wool around the neck for the scarf (simple snowman)
I do pancakes for that morning breakfast that they can decorate with choc buttons/banana/strawberries and squirty cream (eldest dd always does a santa face with strawberry and cream hat lol)
Raspberries or strawberries with squirty cream on top to look like santa hats!
So all that might seem and sound like a faff, but actually its all quite simple things and the books and dvds are re-used every year (yes I may add a new one if I see one but not a must)
My girls love it and so why not do it if it brings joy, no of course if you don't do you're children aren't missing out, but mine like it and I'm happy to do it. Oh and I don't have facebook so it is just for our pleasure. If that makes me working class, so be it.

I'm going to start promoting ovaltine as the new xmas beverage