Opinions on Elf on the Shelf and Christmas eve boxes

[Titsend]

All opinions

I am strictly presents only on Christmas day so no pressies in it.

Eh? But you said you bought new pyjamas and an activity book.

Not bothered about the elf on the shelf but I can see me getting sucked into it if all the kids at school have it. I wouldn't want mine to be left out.

Christmas Eve boxes can be nice but I wouldn't go mad. Last year I did a hot chocolate sachet, a book and Christmas pyjamas. I meant to get a bath bomb but I forgot.

PJs £5
Mug £5
Hot chocolate sachet 40p
Reindeer food...£1?
Book (if buying a new one?) £4?

That's c. £15 per child, or perhaps more? That's not cheap!

@00100001
*Pjs. £2 (bought in sale last year)
Mug £1.
Hot choc. 40p
Reindeer food free - (make my own from oats.
Book free. I usually put in our Xmas story's which I have already bought.
*

@daisypond

Don’t do it.

Xmas eve boxes - usually pjs, a nice new mug with hot choc, reindeer food , Xmas story etc. Nothing expensive.

They are all Christmas present stuff.

I don't think they are.

New pjs to wear Xmas eve night,
Reindeer food. What's the point of giving that After the reindeers have been.
Hot choc and mug costs next to nothing.
Book. Either I pop one in that we already have, or they are £1 from the works.

OK with the reindeer food. But everything else is absolutely Christmas present stuff. Eg, Why have new PJs on Xmas Eve? They are presents for Xmas Day and you wear them Xmas Day night.

@daisypond

OK with the reindeer food. But everything else is absolutely Christmas present stuff. Eg, Why have new PJs on Xmas Eve? They are presents for Xmas Day and you wear them Xmas Day night.

Good question, never really thought about it. My parents always gave us new pjs for Xmas eve. Probably for cute matching pictures on Xmas day 😂

I suppose it's just a tradition passed down in my case.

No elf here.
1st December box- a nice book, advent calendar, tree chocs, new PJs and/or Christmas t shirt or jumper. All things I would buy anyway but it makes the start of advent exciting.
If we can’t spend our usual Christmas Eve with friends I’ll be getting something for then though, one present from us to cheer us up.
Trouble with having lovely Christmas traditions is it’s disappointing if you can’t do them due to a pandemic.

My mum used to get us Christmas stuff - so mugs, jumpers, socks, etc and I always hated them because after Boxing Day they just weren’t ‘right’ (ditto pantomimes - only ok before Christmas Day).

@AnnaMariaDreams

No elf here. 1st December box- a nice book, advent calendar, tree chocs, new PJs and/or Christmas t shirt or jumper. All things I would buy anyway but it makes the start of advent exciting. If we can’t spend our usual Christmas Eve with friends I’ll be getting something for then though, one present from us to cheer us up. Trouble with having lovely Christmas traditions is it’s disappointing if you can’t do them due to a pandemic.

Ah this is a good idea, doing it in 1st dec. they get more use out of it. I will be stealing this one

@daisypond

OK with the reindeer food. But everything else is absolutely Christmas present stuff. Eg, Why have new PJs on Xmas Eve? They are presents for Xmas Day and you wear them Xmas Day night.

I suppose it doesn't matter if they're received on Christmas Eve, and are getting them instead of something in Christmas day?

I have a selection of Christmas DVDs that get pulled out mid December and I make entourage the family watch them.

I always get vetoed in Elf though 😭.

@SerenityNowwwww

My mum used to get us Christmas stuff - so mugs, jumpers, socks, etc and I always hated them because after Boxing Day they just weren’t ‘right’ (ditto pantomimes - only ok before Christmas Day).

Pantos were traditionally played throughout January and even into February.

Pyjamas are a necessity not a present (surely every child has at least 2-3 pairs?) So it doesn't matter if they get them on the 24th or 25th. They still wear them until they are outgrown. (At least my children do!)

I suppose it doesn't matter if they're received on Christmas Eve, and are getting them instead of something in Christmas day?

I think it does, though. Christmas Day is the day for presents, not Christmas Eve. Unless you’re in a country where Christmas Eve is effectively Christmas Day. It spoils it if it’s spread over several days - to me, at least. I don’t like people starting Christmas early. It feels wrong to me.

Never done either

Xmas Eve we have a fancy dinner, go outside to see if we can see sleigh and put out a carrot for the reindeer (bear in mind kids are all teens). Light a fire, drink hot choc, put notes up chimney. We will have been watching Xmas movies nightly since November, DD insists.

Elf on Shelf is just bollocks and I judge anyone who does it for unnecessary martyrdom

We do Christmas Eve box and it’s evolved over the years but now it’s a mug with speciality hot chocolate , some sort of chocolate, socks and a fluffy reindeer. We did FC as a story with ours and no elves , they are both now adult and still love Christmas and all our family traditions .

I don't do elf on the shelf but I do a Christmas Eve box for them to share. It's things to make Christmas Eve a chilled but exciting day and usually costs me about £15. PJs each that I buy in the sales the year before, a new bauble for the tree, a bath bomb, a film to watch and a book to read together.

Really not sure what the elf thing is, must be new but we gave our kids a present each Christmas Eve - pj's - and they still want them as adults! Do what's right for your family and don't be afraid to evolve them over the years, when they were little we had pizza, bath, the aforementioned new pjs on and set out a carrot and a bottle of beer for Santa (black sheep or Marston's if you are interested ) now we go to a restaurant and for drinks as they are adults.

Actually it's probably more like £10

Ps we switched to an advent candle around age 14 as they didn't want the calories in chocolate

Pantos were traditionally played throughout January and even into February.

These days, I feel that for a lot of people, once Christmas is done, it's done. We take down our tree and decorations on Boxing Day. I think it' s becoming more common these days. Not for everyone, but I think it's not unusual.

No no no to the elf. Never have, never will. Fortunately dd thinks they look creepy anyway.

1st Dec we have the advent calendars and Xmas jumper or top, wrapped as they love to unwrap it.

Xmas Eve they get new PJs to wear (and then wear them all year until they grow out of them), reindeer food (homemade from oats and sugar sprinkles) to put out on the grass. Sweets or chocs and popcorn to eat in front of a movie, usually an old favourite streamed. Their empty stockings, reused every year, to put up. The plate for Santa’s treat to put out.

So nothing that we don’t already own or would be buying anyway. It’s the ritual of having it wrapped and laying everything out that we all enjoy here.

Xmas is always strung out due to work schedules, lots of relatives to visit and 2 family birthdays over Xmas. Plus I always thought having it all on one day was quite overwhelming when they were small.

Does it really fucking matter what other people do.

Elf. Each child has a cuddly elf, all elf’s arrive between November 25th and December 1st.... depending on when the school fete was traditionally... and bring this year’s Christmas jumpers. They are played with, don’t do naughty nonsense and leave a Christmas Eve hamper then they go back to the North Pole on Christmas Eve with the big guy!

Christmas Eve hamper (from said elf) includes pyjamas for all, chocolate for hot chocolate, marshmallows, tablet and a book (same one every year). We use the same hamper and book and it’s all returned with the elf that evening.

@Pelleas

Is it me or are the Christmas threads starting really early this year?

Not complaining about it, just an observation.

all seemingly by the same poster who doesn't bother returning. someone is obviously very bored of school holidays.