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?

We had Christmas Eve when we were kids, too, and I'm in my mid forties.

Like others have said, it's a Christmas Eve bedtime routine made extra special and us very useful if you have the sort if child who doesn't sleep when excited, because it makes going to bed and to sleep part of the whole experience of Christmas.

We have:
Pyjamas (worn for the rest of the year)
Cocoa and a candy cane each
Christmas stockings
Blank thank you cards
Writing paper for a letter to Santa
The Grinch who Stole Christmas to read before bed
Bubble bath

Gosh there's some grumpy sausages on MN aren't there?

It'll probably disappoint them to know that I buy the 'new' pyjamas on eBay so secondhand, and the old ones go to my nephew who is 1 year younger than DS. Of course you could fill a Christmas Eve box with tat that is heading straight to the landfill, but you don't. We have about 5 Christmas books between myself and my siblings so we swap them about between DS and Dnephews. Again, not new stuff.

I don't have a December first box but it probably makes more sense for general festive stuff.

The grumps on here will be aghast to know that DS not only gets Christmas presents but chanukah gifts too, and a small gift on his shoes on 5/6 January because DH is German. I'll let you in on a secret hough, I sent a budget and he gets the gifts spread out across the different celebrations. He doesn't get more gifts, and spreading them out reduces the overwhelming effect.

I read about this a couple of years ago and felt guilty that my DC were missing out on some great new thing. I got some new PJs and hot chocolate and presented it in a Christmas bag. They could not have been less impressed! Now I've gone back to putting the PJs under the tree. I find a boring gift like pyjamas goes down better if it's opened amid lots of other exciting presents.

Christmas bedding and cushions are the most bizarre things. I have enough stuff in my house without having to store bulky bedding and cushions for 11 out of 12 months.

We just give one present early on christmas eve, that is what happened when I was a kid too.

Don’t worry @DippyAvocado I have enough storage space for my ‘bizarre’ Christmas bedding and cushions. These are things that make my home cost and welcoming for me and my family over the Christmas period. I’m sure there are things in your house I would never want in my house but I wouldn’t make comment on that because that’s completely up to you!

Cosy not cosy! Really need to start reading before posting! 🤦🏻‍♀️

I’ve always had new pyjamas on Christmas Eve since a child. I don’t do a Christmas Eve it 1 Dec box but do do a Boxing Day box! Again this is continuing something my grandma did for us as children ( partly I think because all our presents came from Santa on Christmas Day).

It was always a shoe box that she wrapped up in paper with lots of little gifts in it. Most were bits and pieces she had picked up ( so the small shampoos from hotels), little chocolates, small penny toys. There would also always be a book, a item of clothing and one small gift from my parents ( held back from Christmas I guess)

Anyway I remember loving it as a child - and it helped cushion the Christmas come down so have co to yes it for my kids. It works particularly well for me now as I’m now a single parent but still do joint presents with the ex whilst the children still believe. Boxing Day pressures are now a few small gifts just from me to them.

So many typos - sorry but you get my drift!

Absolutely fuck all.

We see family on Christmas Eve and some presents had them, Santa and our presents on Christmas Day, more family and even more presents for the next week.

We get home and chuck child in to bed on Christmas Eve after reading a nice book together.

Why on earth do they need even more stuff on Christmas Eve? The pressure is madness.

BigmouseLittlehouse We always had a boxing day present too I think it was more because we went to my Dad's family on boxing day so it was so they got to see us open something but I remember it so fondly too.

SimpleAndPlanned that sounds like a lovely Christmas Eve. There is literally no pressure to do a Christmas Eve box. It's not compulsory.

We don't do a box, but we do celebrate St Nicholas on the evening of 5th December by putting out a clean pair of shoes or boots.

I usually put in chocolate, an apple, a few sweets and nuts in one boot, and a present in the other - it's a good way to give a Christmas jumper or pyjamas before Christmas itself (though my DC will happily wear them all year round anyway), and I've also given things like a Christmassy book or DVD in the past.

I supppse it's like getting two stockings. But in fact it's just spreading out things I might give them anyway (well, apart from the Apple and nuts, that's just traditional. They do like them though.)

My DC get super super excited about it, even though objectively the contents are not actually that exciting.

It's part of their cultural heritage, it's a nice tradition, it makrs my DC very happy, it doesn't hurt anyone, I really like doing it.
Children really like rituals and traditions around Christmas. It's about that, not about the contents really.

No one is saying you have to do an xmas eve box. There is no pressure. But there is a lot of judging of people that do have xmas eve boxes. Lots of comments of cheap tat etc even though many posters including op have stated that most of the stuff is reused year after year.
I regards to the xmas bedding taking up space, we put it back in the xmas box and it goes into the loft with the xmas decorations. It doesn't take up that much space.
We don't do stockings but I manage to not judge the people that do cause everyone has different traditions.

I only give mine their Xmas eve box's on Xmas eve ... hence the name Xmas eve box
They only get
Pjs and slippers
New Xmas cup
Reindeer hot chocolate to put in it
Key for Santa and rudolf food
Disney teddy with the year on
Some Xmas ducks for the bath
Christmas themed book
Some Christmas themed snacks
And a colouring book and pencils

The older kids get Christmas bath smellys instead of the Christmas ducks though!!
My youngest is 2. Oldest SS is 18 and I won't lie he still sits an colours with the kids lol!!

Just nice stuff make them smell and feel fresh for Santa

I don't go over board as someone said they get enough Xmas day but

I just do:
New pjs
bath bomb or bubble bath
chocolate and marshmallows for xmas eve hot choc
reindeer food (oats and edible sprinkles or glitter from my baking stash)
little note form the elves about going to bed nicely etc

stuff they would have anyway but just in a little box from the elves.

@DippyAvocado "Christmas bedding and cushions are the most bizarre things. I have enough stuff in my house without having to store bulky bedding and cushions for 11 out of 12 months"

Do you? Maybe you need a clear out then. Why have you got so much "stuff"?

Another one here who was always given new pyjamas, slippers/bed socks and a Christmas themed book to read at bedtime on Christmas Eve when I was a kid and I'm in my mid 30's so don't get the claims that this is some new-fangled thing! Ok, it was wrapped up in wrapping paper instead of in a box but same difference. It's a tradition I remember really fondly from my childhood so I've carried it on with my DC. They have wooden Christmas Eve boxes that will be re-used every year and we do pyjamas, bed socks/slippers which will be worn all year round, a Christmassy book to read at bedtime and a film that we all watch together. None of these things are disposable "plastic tat", they will all get plenty of use and the DC are very appreciative of all of them. They love putting on their new PJ's, snuggling up and watching a new Christmas film as a family and the new book to read at bedtime means they're happy to go to bed despite all the excitement. Where's the harm?

We had a Christmas Eve box for a few years but I've now changed it to 1st December just because that works better for us. In it is:

Advent calendars
Fleece Xmas blankets (same ones every year)
Xmas dvds (same each year)
New bauble for tree each
Christmas stories (same every year)
Some christmassy food/chocolates

I also usually put new pjs in but not sure if I will this year because they've all a grown loads so they've just got some.
It's not anything I wouldn't be getting anyway and
I'm just putting it in a cardboard box covered in festive wrapping paper and giving it to the kids on Dec 1st because I want to and they like it

Oh and I forgot the Christmas shaped biscuit cutters too for some festive baking.

I don't know why people get so wound up over this. There is no law that says you have to do christmas eve boxes. Why does it bother you if other people do?

"Xmas " eve boxes are ridiculous. Why can't you donate the money to a homeless charity instead? Is there no end to people's materialism?

Soon there will be a Boxing day box as well.

We're doing a family advent calendar that will be different films to watch through December as a family. And then a personal one for our daughter which will include things such as a new book, a colouring set (mini), etc as well as a few sweets. Then on Christmas Eve the box will include another new book, pyjamas, and when she's older a hot chocolate to drink in bed whilst listening to the book

Her actual calendar is also one of the soft toy ones from ALDI so she'll get to play with that on Christmas

@Pepperpot99 yes your post has made me completely rethink Christmas - that’s it, no more presents for the kids - why didn’t I think of that before! 🤔

There seems to be alot of posters on this thread trying to justify why they do or don't do a Christmas eve box. I dont understand why what others do with their family bothers people so much. People have their own traditions and what is normal to one family isnt necessarily to another. There is no right or wrong here.

"Xmas " eve boxes are ridiculous. Why can't you donate the money to a homeless charity instead? Is there no end to people's materialism?
Already do. We're currently collecting men's socks and underwear. Just donated a load of new school uniform to our women and children's charity too. How are things reused and recycled every year materialistic?

"Xmas " eve boxes are ridiculous. Why can't you donate the money to a homeless charity instead? Is there no end to people's materialism?

Soon there will be a Boxing day box as well.
This had also been covered, some people already do it.

There seems to be a lot of posters on this thread trying to justify why they do or don't do a Christmas eve box. I dont understand why what others do with their family bothers people so much. People have their own traditions and what is normal to one family isnt necessarily to another. There is no right or wrong here.
Agreed. It's every year, and it's so bloody sneery. What you don't see is those that do have a CEB or whatever saying that those who don't are wrong or stupid or ridiculous etc.