What goes in your Xmas Eve box?

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Found a lovely big box while out shopping today, wondering what others put in theirs for Advent or Xmas Eve?

If for 1st Dec I'm thinking I can put things in that are used all month so maybe better value... also DD turns 6 a couple days after 25th so Xmas things go away and Birthday things come out quickly.

Ideas list under consideration so far:

Xmas PJs
Chocolate coins
Advent Calendar - wrapped up as a present
Oranges/satsumas
Xmas teddy bear - DD adores anything soft and furry
Furry xmas blanket
Xmas themed hot water bottle
Hot chocolate packet or set
Xmas jumper - school will have a jumper day before the end of term
Xmas hair slides or similar
Xmas bubble bath or bath bomb if I can find one
Small size Xmas mug/cup - can find one in a £1 shop
Xmas craft bits - DD loves making stuff

There are bits I can put in that are not new but from storage:

Xmas pudding bobble hat
Xmas Books
Xmas baking cutters

That's obviously too much, but anyone do anything more original?

Hate to sound like Scrooge here but these Xmas eve boxes, are they really necessary? With everything dc get on the day itself isn't it just more money, more plastic, more consumerism?

Damn I think I am Scrooge!

Ridiculous. Another stupid invented thing.

I must admit I'm really pleased I didnt start this/Theres no expectation of this in oir family as the satsumas and coins and hats etc can go in the stocking!

We just have a new mug with a hot chocolate cone reindeer, a colouring book, a bauble to paint for the tree every(nice to keep every year) and a Christmas film. We always have Xmas Eve pyjamas too x

What? What are you talking about? You give presents the night before the day of presents? Do you eat a box of chocolates before your roast dinner too?

And I have had people tell me it's a waste of money but it's a tradition that we started when our family started so I think its a nice idea. I do try and limit our use of plastics and only try to buy recyclable things x

Jamas
Book
Colouring book
Pens
Christmas cookie
Sweets
Bath stuff
Santa key
Christmas hot chocolate

Then for the older kids

Same but with
Miniature whiskey/baileys
Beer
Wine
But no Santa key obv

I like doing it. They like the boxes. The older two are my step children so when they started to come to us for Christmas I made them one also as I made my daughter one.

They make good photos in all the same pj's and it's helped us feel more of a family 🤷🏻‍♀️.

It's a new thing we all do together.

Every year people come out of the wood work to dismiss this, either you're new to forums or being deliberately obtuse, this has been a thing since I first had kids 10 years ago. I'm sure there was the same snobbery about stockings and advent calendars at one time.

Ours is pyjamas, dressing gown and slippers (none of these are Christmas related they're for all year round- so useful), bath bomb (lush), some kind of activity I've got a "where's Santa" book this year, and hot chocolate.
My boys love it. Growing up I was allowed to open one present in Xmas eve so this replaced that.

Op home and bargain have bath bomb advents at the min for under a fiver

I like the idea of new PJs, a warm milky drink and a book or dvd to wind down before bed. Maybe some new bubblebath.

The rest is just far too much.

Does anyone really need an 'Xmasthemed hot water bottle'?!

Honestly that seems like loads to me, but we don’t do Christmas Eve or 1st December boxes. We do do new pyjamas on Christmas Eve though. Our DD’s have their advent calendars on the 1st and we get random craft bits to do throughout December - this year we’re making a brussell sprout pom pom garland, that should take us a while and probably some paper chains/snowflakes.

I find December quite overwhelming for our DD’s, DD1 has a Christmas birthday in the mix too and so whilst we like to find stuff to keep them occupied we don’t like to add to much into the mix.

Orange I've been here since Dd was born and she's just turned 16. I'm not being 'obtuse' I fully understand what an xmas eve box is . Funnily enough it seems to mainly contain the things my dc get in their stockings. Yesterday the shops were full of Halloween tat, now it's Christmas.

When is it ever enough? Traditions are lovely but it's just spend spend spend all the time.

1. I’m not ‘coming out of the woodwork’ as I am a regular poster.
2. Buying another pile of tat is ridiculous and unnecessary
3. I am entitled to my opinion.

We LOVE our Christmas eve box!

It helps spread the magic out and also entertains my DD while I get on with some prep!

We have:
New PJs for the whole family (not Christmassy)
Christmas socks each
A drink each (gin for me, beer for my husband, hot choc for DD)
Popcorn
Polar express dvd (every year!)
Magic key (ditto)
Plate for mince pie, carrot etc

I've always done Christmas Eve gifts from the elves (Pyjamas and a Christmas book or DVD) as my DM did for me 40 years ago. However even I think that your list is far too much and seems to be replacing the stocking.

For me the Christmas Eve box/gift is about getting ready to celebrate Christmas so bath, pyjamas, hot chocolate and book after church.

Do you eat a box of chocolates before your roast dinner too?

One of my Christmas traditions this

No Christmas Eve boxes here though. They get enough on the day.

Really ott. How about hot chocolate, new PJs and a film to watch together?

I've only heard about them on here. Me, my children and my grandchildren have only ever had a stocking for Christmas morning and presents under the tree from family members.

Lol at the people coming on just to tell me to be more like them, maybe you don't need more stuff what with having to fit your ego in the house.

If you have a child whose birthday is on or immediately after xmas day, it's easier to make advent the event.

Plus I'm a lp with just DD and no big family get together. Xmas could be a struggle emotionally so I get to do what the hell I want to make it work for us.

I like the mini Baileys idea, for when we're both much older.

In ours goes ;
new PJs,
slipper socks
Twas the night before Christmas book,
Christmas stocking
A bath bomb (probably Ickle Bot from lush)
The snowman Dvd.

It's all in a bag that's recycled. I don't give chocolate or sweets it anything. Everything apart from the PJs and socks are used every year. It's tradition.

1st December is just an advent calendar and get out the nativity set. Christmas decorations go up and the Christmas bedding goes on. I love Christmas

It's tat we would only do anyway. New Jamas. Crafts etc.

We'd have an Xmas eve drink with the older kids but they like being included in the younger kids bits because they are all "our kids" so even if it's silly.

Plus it's doing something together and this is our little thing as their mums don't do it.

New pyjamas, book and a board game to help them wind down before bed. Might have something like slippers, a fluffy blanket or hot choc stuff if I see something nice or they need something.

The idea was that it is a clear signal that it is time to settle down and get ready for bed. We don't put our tree up til Christmas eve so they were always over excited when they were little. The box was an excuse to get them ready for bed. Now they are bigger it is a nice ritual. The stuff is used throughout the year- DS2 has just gone to bed in last year's "Christmas" jamas.

Bellatrix 😁

maybe you don't need more stuff what with having to fit your ego in the house.

You don’t need more stuff either op, none of us do.

Xmas could be a struggle emotionally so I get to do what the hell I want to make it work for us.

Absolutely, but more stuff is rarely the solution to emotional struggles.