What do you put in Christmas Eve boxes?

[Underthehills]

DS is 5 at Christmas. DD is 1 in January. What do you put in your Christmas Eve boxes? I haven’t done one before. Sooo excited it’s coming 😂 🎄 🎅

Ha! DS is somewhat indulged… We do 1st December too for the advent calendar/Christmas bedding/Christmas jumper 🤣 I just love Christmas and he already spends all year talking about it and asking when it’s coming. I find there’s too much pressure just on the one day, so I try to make it a month of joy and magic.

Thanks for all your wonderful suggestions! Keep them coming!

@KangarooKenny search for Christmas Eve box on Etsy 😊

I do a 1st December box, as thought it's nice for them to enjoy during the build up!

New Xmas pyjamas
Their Xmas mugs
A new tub of hot chocolate
A bag of mini Marshmallows
Their fave xmas books (our elf then delivers a new one sometime in week 2)
Some xmas chocolates/biscuits
New xmas boxers for DS & DH
Girls get Xmas hair accessories
New Xmas socks for all

New PJs but not Christmas ones so they actually wear them, the same mug that goes in every year (Emma Bridgewater with polar bears etc), one of those hot chocolate sticks or some novelty mini marshmallows to have on Christmas Eve, the same hardback copy of the night before Christmas, a lush bath bomb (DS loves them) for Christmas Eve bath, a small novelty last year a pair of fluffy dinosaur wearing a Christmas hat socks. His Christmas stocking to hang.
So most of it is used repeatedly.
We've also amassed a selection of Christmas books and a few cuddly toys which get packed away each year and come out when we get the Christmas decorations out. So feels like something new but no additional purchases.

Christmas Eve we do something in the daytime, last year the aquarium we have annual passes to, usually have a nice lunch/brunch out, come home for an early dinner, something simple and quick, back out for early carol service at local church, home around 6:30 open box, bath, new PJs Christmas 'film' usually something short like the snowman or whatever Julia Donaldson I've recorded from the Christmas before with hot chocolate, then DC bed. Adults crack open the port and cheeses.

We don't do anything early because DS' birthday is right at the beginning of December so want him to enjoy the birthday fun, Christmas tree usually goes up the weekend after his birthday. He does have an advent calendar

Sorry @TheBatwoman I was going to add that the St Nicholas Day gifts sound like a lovely family tradition too

Our elves bring a little box of treats that includes Xmas hair bobbles, Xmas jumper, xmas pjs, sweets, and a Xmas book along with their advent Calendars with a hand written note.

I feel I need to get my moneys worth out of all the Christmas tat lol 😂

Iv pre ordered what the ladybird did at Christmas! I always get a new book to pop in the Xmas eve box but when I put decorations up I have a bit of a shelf with all my Xmas themed books the children love reading them each year as well as looking forward to the new one they get on Xmas eve!

@RewildingAmbridge I’m
liking the port and cheese 🤔 maybe I need a port and cheese Christmas Eve box.

I decorated a vintage wine crate but The Works and Home Bargains have nice ones each year + crates to decorate. We use reindeer shaped baskets too

Nothing, because it's bollocks

😂😂😂😂 awk but the Wiens love it

I didn't know what a Christmas Eve box was until I came on here. They didn't exist when mine were small. Is the idea to split the gifts? Does it mean they get less on Christmas Day?

Same as other pps, items that are brought out every year and reused like Christmas book and cup etc. Add some oats in to a bag for reindeer food and put some hot choc mix and marshmallows in a cone.the only things new will be winter pjs (101 dalmations came with cosy socks £6 sainsburys sale) and a bath bomb (around £1.50 home bargains) may add in a christmas puzzle book (£1 or less the works or home bargains). It's more a tradition and wind down theme. We also bake cookies for Father Christmas so have those after Christmas eve bath with the hot choc.

Our family edition of "'Twas the night before Christmas" (for bedtime story).

DD's stocking to lay out.

Her plastic glass and plate with Santa (a second plastic crockery set bought in toddlerhood) to put out the snack for Santa.

New things every year are:
new PJs for everyone in the house (winter rather than Christmas ones).
Festive bath bomb each for Dd and I.
Nice hot choc (the lump of choc on a wooden spoon type usually) and sometimes a Christmas/winter craft beer for Dh.

It comes out after dinner, Dd lays out the snack and her stocking and goes up for warm bath and gets into new cosy pjs.

Comes back down for hot choc and a snuggle, then up to bed where TTNBC is the first story (she might get 1 more if it's needed).

Well, we used to do that from age 1 up to the end of primary. But we still do new pjs and hot choc, but mostly nice shower gels as she's late teen so doesn't "do" baths anymore.

@Maireas no it doesn't in my house as its nit main presents it's just some novelty Christmas things to get them in a Christmas mood on Christmas eve, some people don't bother and find them a waste but I write like doing them for my little ones.

Xmas pjs
Xmas mugs with hot chocolate sachets in
Personalised plate for the carrot/mince pie etc for Santa
Reindeer dust
Santa’s magic key
The night before Christmas book
Xmas bath bombs/shower steamers
New board game
Popcorn or Pringles for a film (used to put an Xmas dvd in but we just watch one on Netflix or whatever now)
Pre mixed drinks for me & DP
& a letter from the elves saying goodbye, talking about what they’ve done while they were here etc and telling the DC whether they’ve made it onto the nice list or not

Pjs and a book each. Last year I added a bath bomb.

Another that did a 1st December box. As I'm frugal tight also wrap up the same Christmas bedding and plates/mugs every year, they are still excited to see it all come out.

New (or hand me downs if they still look lovely) are a Christmas onesie and new slippers, hot chocolate kit and Xmas biscuits.

Ours are just stuff they'd get anyway or in their stocking but packaged in a nice box that they get at breakfast time with the idea being that they will look forward to going to bed

red nail polish
those nail sticker things (assorted Santa, candy cane etc)
new PJ's/lounge wear
hot chocolate stick/bomb
Christmassy chocolate

would she enjoy a craft kit to make a tree decoration?

Oh I misunderstood, I though you meant what to put in it!! 😂😂

card factory usually have some nice Christmas boxes, but it might be a bit early.

Why open the thread then??

it's a Christmas thread in the Christmas topic.

Stay away if it bothers you.

I suppose that depends on each family.

a lot of it is reused from year to year or just stuff you'd get anyway & personally we're not hard & fast on giving rules.

like the eldest (17) I'm putting in red nail varnish. It suits her & she wears it a lot, I wouldn't give it to her on Christmas Day as it feels 'after the party' but I'll still
get her a couple of other colours for Christmas. I'll get her other Christmas chocolate but probably not more PJ's but definitely more leisure wear, she needs it anyway.