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?

We have 1st December box. It starts off our Christmas, which is not allowed to be mentioned until the box arrives!!

It has Christmassy things in it for DS to do and use over the Christmas period. This year's has 2 Christmas activity pads, some fairy lights for his bedroom, Home Alone 2, reindeer PJs and hot water bottle and a reindeer lego model.

Our elf brings the box. On the same day the tree goes up, Christmas bedding goes on and obviously the advent calendar comes out.

We also go to the amazing Christmas display at our local garden centre as close to Dec 1st as we can and DS and I each choose a new swanky bauble for the tree.

I used to HATE Christmas, but I love it now for all these little traditions I hope DS will remember.

It sounds nice but Christmas is materialistic enough so is not a trend I will be adopting

I love the class discussion when I first started using mumsnet I realised some posters thought going to university and owning your own home made you middle class so it was hard to take the class discussions seriously.

The idea that Christmas boxes and Xmas excess are working class is potentially even funnier

I have been doing christmas eve box for 17 years so it's not a new thing. I always used to get my kids PJs and a new book , and now they are teens I include a chocolate bar too. Hate the elf on the shelf though - I'm glad that my two were too old when this first became a 'thing'. I wouldn't have minded a santa cam though when they were little, especially for my eldest!

Hold on - do people here think the Christmas pjs are worn once?? We only ever got new PJs at Christmas time, they aren't Christmassy themed or anything. we got them at Christmas so we'd have decent PJs for the Christmas morning pictures.

When I was a child the only thing we got to open on Christmas Eve was my tightarse uncle’s shitty ill thought out present (such as a pink nightgown in size 11-12 years when I was a 15 year old goth ). It was a running joke to mock Uncle Scrooge.

I always get my DC pyjamas and socks for Christmas Eve, it’s just a nice thing to have new ones after their Lush Christmas bath bomb filled baths!

I think a lot of parents find them useful on what is probably the toughest night of the year to get the kids to settle down for bed.

As with Christmas Day itself, the Christmas Eve box can be a simple and inexpensive or as pricey as you like really. It can even contain stuff that is used year after year (a special toy/ornament/game/DVD).

I do them for mine! They really like it. Pretty much the only new things in there are pyjamas. They are Christmas themed...but they wear them throughout the year anyhow. In fact, I have four children, and the littlest one has Christmas pyjamas that have made their way through all four of them. There are Christmas cuddly toys and books which are the same as last years. There are also cups in the shape of baubles, which come out every year. There is usually a Christmas activity book in there but tbh they are usually a Christmas present from a relative the previous year!

Mine don't like hot chocolate though so I put a j2o in! Not sure what that does to my class status! They have a few Christmas sweets in there, but I put less in their stockings the next day.... So it all works out.

I also do a north pole breakfast and elves. I know alot of people disagree with it, but mine love it so much. Literally they are already talking about the elves coming, and my eldest says it's his favourite thing about Christmas! They get their own elf at three years old. My plan is to pack them all away once they are too old and then give them back to the DC when/if they have their own children, so they can carry it on (if they wish obvs).

I enjoy it, the kids enjoy it... It's not doing anyone any harm!

DD gets a pair of winter or Christmas themed pjs on Dec 1st because I like to get my money's worth. The box of Christmas books also comes out for DD to read during December.

I was born in the 70s and we didn't do christmas eve stuff in our family. Do remember watching a film together before bed though.