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 😂 🎄 🎅

I do a first December box - it has the same things in it every year more or less so it doesn't feel wasteful and it means they get longer to enjoy everything in it.

Christmas pyjamas
Reindeer hot chocolate
Christmas themed book
Home baked cookies/biscuits
Reindeer food

I love doing the Christmas Eve boxes - it’s literally my favourite job of the year! I put into ours:

pjs
fluffy socks
bath bomb
small Christmas novelties
gold coins
story book

They’re only small boxes but we distract the kids in the afternoon and put them under the tree so they appear like magic at the point the elf leaves.

I've done an Xmas eve box for over a decade but it wasn't a "thing" back then (and mum did for us back in the 80s), it's always had the same stuff in it:

PJs
Reindeer food
Hot chocolate
Toothbrush
''Twas the night before Xmas book
Baileys
Magic Santa key (don't have a chimney in the Caribbean)
Santa sacks for their gifts
Whatever other Christmas Eve crap I can think of.

Thanks @PritiPatelsMaker, that’s a great idea. We were bound to buy them some Christmas outfits and I have some seasonal books I already put away for them. That’s halfway there really, isn’t it?

I love the idea of the reindeer food too. Would be lovely to take them out to do the reindeer food in the garden.

Pyjamas, a Christmas film dvd from our collection, a hot Chocolate bombe, some sweets to eat during the film, a Christmas hot water bottle cover (I make them so doesn’t cost me anything as I have a huge stash of fabric etc and it comes out of the bed once they get in it) and either a bottle of Matey bubble bath where they can use as much as they like, or a bath bomb, and a Christmas themed story book. We’ve also got a plate that holds a mince pie etc and a magic key that come out every year.

It’s all stuff that they’d be doing anyway; so nothing extra, but it just adds a bit of magic.

We didn't have them as children but DH and I did a joint one for each other for a few years before we had DS1. Used an old Xmas gift box and put a couple of tins of cocktails or mini bottles of Prosecco and some snacks plus each wrapped new pjs for the other and chose a Xmas movie to watch before bed. We wanted to start it as a proper tradition from DS1s first Christmas and got him a lovely personalised wooden box from etsy to use every year and even though he wasn't quite 1 yet we put in a Xmas sleepsuit someone had given us for him, a pack of melty puff snacks and a 'That's not my reindeer' book. Was more for us than him that year 😂 we have kept it going since then with the same idea of contents - new pjs, an edible treat and a Xmas book (plus a paper 'ticket' printed out for a Xmas movie for us to watch together that evening). This year will be DS2s first Xmas so will be getting a personalised wooden box for him too! 🥰

The reason for ours is not to split the gifts or give loads extra. We normally all could do with a new pair of PJs at that point in the winter. We normally do a lot of hot choc in winter anyway in the evenings. Most of the other items are reused every year.

But what it does do is signal the change from the last preparations (getting nice and clean) and heading calmly to bed for a good sleep, before the fun and festivities of the next day. It helps us to have a slow, relaxed wind down so that DD will sleep. But it is still a nice thing, something special, and festive.

In fact, her plate and glass, once they were not needed as everyday spares (because she'd moved on to regular crockery), were put away for the rest of the year and come out on 1st December, along with the rest of the collection of Christmas books and dvds etc that we have gathered over the year. And her Christmas bedding set. The stocking and TTNBC book are saved separately for 24th. But it's important to DD that the plate and glass are in the CEH, as part of the overall setting up and getting organised process. (Or rather, it used to be - before the teen years).

I do a 1st December box too!! New PJs, a couple of Christmas bath bombs, a Christmas activity set and their elf!!! I’m going to set the breakfast table with the Christmas plates and child size mugs I bought from Home Bargains last year!! I also have Asda Christmas bedding and lovely fluffy pudding blankets that I put on for 1st December.

The best quality Christmas pjs I’ve found are from Asda. I usually order second week of September to get the sizes and stash away 😂 Last year I bought 2 pairs each from M&S and the quality for awful. They kept falling down!!

Then for Christmas Eve they get a box of Cookie Crunch cereal from the elf!! And more bath bombs. I’m also going to add the hot chocolate shaker I bought from the bargains thread!

Pj's and always a craft item or gingerbread house etc.
Used to open them at 5pm then go in the kitchen to keep them occupied.

We only have one DC under 18 this year but both adult DC live at home and love the festivities too.

We do a a 1st December hamper containing advent calendars, new festive pyjamas, reused Christmas crockery and mugs plus festive flavours of hotel chocolate hot choc flakes.
We put out the Christmas books too.

When we wake on Christmas Eve the elves (cuddly ones that are played with and bring occasional treats) have left the Christmas Eve sack with pyjamas (themed like tartan or one colour but not Christmas), bath bombs, popcorn (the kids love the pop a cob ones), a box of chocolates from our local deli and a bottle of vintage port for the grown ups!

"I didn't know what a Christmas Eve box was until I came on here. They didn't exist when mine were small."

Every year 🤣. Yes they did unless your children are now in their 70s.

1st December here too with the arrival of the advent calendars and the North Pole breakfast. Same bedding and books reused each year plus some craft stuff.

Maybe they did exist when I was a kid but they certainly weren't as wide spread. I'm in my mid 30's and none of my friends or family did them. I only remember starting to hear about them 10-15 years ago

I put in bath bomb, new Xmas PJs, new slippers, gold coins or candy canes, hot choc bomb and mini marshmallows and a small cuddly toy.

I love the idea of a 1 Dec box with just the Xmas bedding and advent calendar in, think I'll do that as well this year

"Maybe they did exist when I was a kid but they certainly weren't as wide spread. I'm in my mid 30's and none of my friends or family did them. I only remember starting to hear about them 10-15 years ago"

That's the same as anything though. Nothing was as widespread pre-internet and social media days. You didn't hear about new things quite so easily until you had a smart phone.

For some reason though Christmas tradition threads bring out the worst in some. Happens every year.

Yes that's true I guess

Tickets to the panto or Santa visit also go in ours on 1st December with a letter from the North Pole. They love that.

I’m nearly 40 and always had new PJs for Christmas Eve. My children get PJs plus a book and maybe a bath bomb between them.

That wasn't a criticism, I wasn't being rude, I asked a genuine question, which several posters were kind enough to answer in a pleasant way. No need for your snark.
I have adult children and no such thing when they were little. I can assure you.

Thanks to those of you that have clarified what the Christmas Eve box is, and how you manage Christmas with your children.
I had genuinely never heard of this tradition - my children are adults.
I think it's probably a nice way to get little ones to go to bed and manage excitement!

"That wasn't a criticism, I wasn't being rude, I asked a genuine question, which several posters were kind enough to answer in a pleasant way. No need for your snark.
I have adult children and no such thing when they were little. I can assure you."

Snark? I didn't see any question but these threads are the same every year. You can't assure me that there was no such thing in the 1970s because I still have the one I got every single year.

What do you mean "the worst in some"? I've seen one poster criticise and be negative on here, they were rightly given short shrift.

Dtwins birthday is at Christmas, so I do 1st Dec boxes and then a more traditions thing for Christmas Eve, otherwise they get all their birthday and Christmas stuff for the whole year in 5 days.

1st Dec, we have big velvet sacks, containing Christmas PJ's, so we wear them all through the month. Elder DS gets a festive jigsaw to start and finish by Christmas Eve. There will be some form of decoration kit to make, paper snowflakes, paper chains, that sort of thing. Christmas jumpers, and our advents. All stuff to use/do throughout the whole month.

Christmas Eve, we open one box all together. It contains the pop up Robert Sabuda Night Before Christmas, which has come out every year for the last decade with elder DS and DTwins will actually appreciate this year. Everyone's stocking to hang, a bag of clockwork toys (all DC get a new one in their stocking each year, and they all get put in the Christmas Eve box after) it's great to see DS remember his first ones and quite sweet to see them set them all off excitedly. Lastly there are a load of cards from around the world as I participate in a global Christmas card exchange. These cards all go in the Christmas Eve box as they arrive from mid November, and we open them together the morning of Christmas Eve. It's lovely to see all the post marks and different greetings from around the world.

I'm trying to keep Christmas about traditions/memories and less about buying more stuff.

I think that's a nice thing, @TwinsAndTiramisu - you're creating new traditions and encouraging creativity as well 👍

Well I'd never come across with my children. Before social media it's quite possible that different traditions emerged that were not common.
Whatever your thoughts, I asked a genuine question and others on here have been kind enough to explain.