Are we the only parents who don't do Christmas Eve boxes?

[User6447482684755]

we have just never bothered, something else for me to think about too!

They've never questioned why they don't get one. They weren't even a thing a few years ago right?

I was Christmas shopping today (I know, early but I don't often get much chance to shop mid week when kids are at school). The cashier picked up on me buying for Christmas and was chatting nicely, she says oh well you give your kids a Christmas Eve box yeah? Just her assuming that all kdis have one. She meant well but I am questioning myself now.

I was like no we don't!

we tend to visit family on Christmas Eve and gifts are exchanged and sometimes opened early (from family). We always have take away on Christmas Eve!

that is our tradition.

we have an elf on the shelf but we do it our own way. Sometimes I wish I never started though.

we also don't bother with the whole matching PJ thing.

we tend to just do things our way without following any fads! That's okay, right?

I don't do them but MIL organises then for me DH and our boys.
I wouldn't do them however I do enjoy getting them :)

But no, I don't really see the need tbh

I love the ‘what are they?’, ‘don’t understand’ posts - thought everyone on Mumsnet and their offspring were Gifted and Talented! There’s not much to understand folks! 😂

@SergeiL we are all gifted & talented and that’s why we don’t follow commercial crap like ‘boxes’ on Christmas Eve. A Christmas box when I was growing up was a shoebox with household items for charity.

On a serious note what are people putting in them?? Presents? Themed stuff? Food?? x

Yeah, they are a class indicator (though it is illegal to mention class on MN).

Basically, the posher you are, the less likely you are to do a Christmas Eve box. You can @ me as much as you like MN, but it's still true <runs>

Never did Christmas Eve boxes for my children. In fact, I never of them until a couple of years ago on here

I out my latest name change every year on one of these threads. I’ve told this story under half a dozen names now, I think!

I do the Christmas Eve box every year. I started when my DS's were tots and they’re 15 and 18 now. My middle son was stillborn a little before Christmas, and had a Christmas Day due date, so it’s easy to feel sad at that time of year. So we have a few things we do to bring him into our lives in a happy way. The Christmas Eve box is one. When my other two boys were small I told them DS2 borrowed some magic from Santa to bring them a box of treats. We'd leave it in the garden for my DS's to find.

It actually makes me sad now that they know it’s not true but those years they believed have made for some cherished memories.

So no, it’s not all about tat and consumerism or keeping up with the Jones'. I doubt it is for most people. Most people do the box as it’s something to make their little, or not so little, ones smile.

People like to make out THEIR traditions are the superior ones and anything they don’t do is idiots being parted with their money 🙄 This type of thread happens every year and is usually chock full of insults hurled at anyone who does do the boxes which is why some of the replies are a bit biting.

We don't do Xmas eve boxes or the dreaded elf, but DD has a fabric advent calendar that my mum made her that we put little gifts in each year.

We don't but we have a 1st Dec box which houses our advent book, Christmas mugs and glasses etc

@ThatsRoughBuddy that's a lovely, special family tradition. My middle son was also stillborn and his stocking is filled with little gifts from him for the other kids, all based on a particular theme we associate with him, so I totally relate to your thinking behind your Christmas Eve box. 💐

My kids lucky if I remember a £1 chocolate advent calendar on the 1st of December, sometimes he doesn't receive one till the 3rd 4th but the bonus of this is he gets to play catch up 😂😂

Christmas Eve box and elf, I haven't got the time or memory for such things 😂

@ThatsRoughBuddy sorry for your loss. It can be a lovely tradition and this is a great example of why people shouldn’t judge.

I am not convinced it is an indicator of ‘class’. It’s not classy to sneer at others on a chat forum and pretend not to understand other peoples traditions just because you don’t do it.

We don't do them, Christmas Eve is the big day for us so that's when we open all the presents, but we don't give anything the day before Christmas Eve either.

What do you do on Christmas Day?

Always done new pajamas- my mum did with me. Also usually have a Chinese too. That's about it for the "traditions"!

But they are not Christmassy themes pjs! Just regular ones that can be worn anytime.

We do a Christmas eve box

Its fine not to..obviously because we can all do Christmas our way

Eat leftovers and relax

@sjxoxo in the xmas eve box for my daughter there is a mug for Santa that we use for his milk. A sign that goes on her door handle that reads "santa stop here". A plate that we use for Santa's cookies and carrot for reindeer. Matching xmas pj's. Reindeer food that we sprinkle in the garden and the book 'The Night Before' that we read before she goes to bed. I never had a xmas eve box as a kid so wanted to create a new tradition for my DD

I am from Scandinavia and we celebrate Xmas on 24th. As Dh is British we have two Xmas parties. On 24th we do traditional things to my country so no Xmas Eve boxes.

@NippyWoowoo
In case you don't see the irony of pooh poohing a form of celebration centered on the religious feast that gives the day its name, I'm here to help you out.

Maybe consider calling it something other than Christmas if your celebration has something else at its core?

🥱 I'm calling it the name that it's called. Still doesn't change the fact that it's meaning is not the same for me and many others. You keep up the cheer.

We have a Christmas Eve box AND Jesus! 🎄🎅🦌⛄✝️

Christmas Eve boxes have been around for years, I'm 36 and we always had new PJs, a book and some chocolate on Christmas Eve.

New PJs, fluffy socks, Christmas stocking, TTNBC book, Santa plate, the nice badge and some birdseed reindeer food.

Other than the PJs, all reused year after year, the stocking used to be mine, now it's DSs.

Christmas is celebrated differently by millions of people all of which have their own ideas about how it "should" be celebrated. Heck, people can't even agree on the date...

No-one is right, no-one is wrong.

Christmas is a Mish mash of celebration and tradition and that's okay.

I've never heard of them. I don't know anyone who has ever spoken of them.