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?

Really??

They sell them in Asda they're that common...

Honestly, I've not
I don't live near an Asda

Not normally but I must have been having a funny turn and have this year bought some special boxes from Etsy! My kids know me well enough to know I am absolutely crap at carrying anything through for any length of time so it will likely be a one shit shot wonder for this year only.

I'm not planning on going mad on presents so might be nice to space it all out.

Need to look up the threads detailing what to put in there. Definitely not getting special matching PJs!

Maybe I will just fill the boxes with Quality Street. 😂

@00100001

The Christmas Babdoc described, which was greeted with a sneery post which I replied to, is based on the Christian religious feast. Regardless of when different branches of Christianity celebrate it, it's still at its core a religious feast.

If other people wish to pour scorn on the religious aspect and emphasise themed pajamas and plastic tat, they can fill their boots, but calling what they're celebrating Christmas is a stretch. There are plenty of other names for the season to choose from.

There's always been feasting in midwinter, predating Christmas.
Christmas traditions and celebrations borrow from many different earlier traditions and the world has moved in.

Christmas isn't just a religious thing anymore.

Yes, it is the core of it for most people.

But reality is Christmas is different for different people, and a lot of people don't have any religion in their celebrations at all.

In fact, it seems the only thing in common across all ways, is the feasting.

We don't have a Christmas eve box or do elf on the shelf but we do a 1st of December 'box'. It's Christmas pjs, sweets and choc and crafts, books and their advent calendars - the things that we enjoy throughout the month but in one place so we can dip in when we need/want.

But reality is Christmas is different for different people, and a lot of people don't have any religion in their celebrations at all.

Yet they persist in calling it Christmas, while dismissing the comments of someone who emphasises the 'Christ' part of the holiday.

As I said, there are plenty of alternatives to the name 'Christmas' if you chafe at the religious element.

For instance, in the US, the winter break from school is called Winter Break in the public schools. Seasonal celebrations in the public schools are themed around winter, avoiding any specific religious association.

You aren't the gate keeper of the the Christmas.

We're allowed to use that word on a non religious context.

Language evolves, move on.

Its the same as Easter. Many many people celebrate it with no religious aspect. It they still call it Easter and that's okay.

I used to do it and I loved buying all the bits, I would get Xmas pyjamas, choc, hot choc and cup, bath bomb, book , some craft jigsaw thing. Then one year , my kids told me the pyjamas were cringe , I noticed they didn't bother with the crafty stuff and were too old for the books, they now prefer showers to baths so it seemed pointless. Instead I used the money that I would spend getting them an extra worthwhile present. It was nice whilst they were younger , but also quite wasteful looking back too. Horse for courses .

Yes four generations of christmas eve boxes here and going strong and not an ounce of plastic in any if them. Personally its your choice to pick and choose your traditions, the more modern ones like the elf, North Pole breakfast or modern toy advent calanders. I've never beaten myself up about not doing those and glad not to have the extra stress (and junk from the advent) tbh.

We don't.
Too much pressure to buy stuff
I can't be doing with it

No, I think they’re ridiculous. We put all our cash into the main event - a pile of lovely presents on Christmas morning! So exciting

Fairly sure a Christmas Eve box doesn't make the "main event" less exciting.

🙄I'm pretty sure kids that get a Xmas eve box also get a pile of presents on Xmas morning and are also excited. It's not either/or

A pile? How vulgar.

Sorry, was that rude?

Don't worry, even though my dc have a hot chocolate, Christmas book and bubble bath on the 24th, they somehow manage to muster up some enthusiasm for the dragging ennui of the 25th.

Christmas book AND a bubble bath.

Mine get the sports page of the local newspaper and a hose down in the garden. Dont want them to be too spoilt or they wont enjoy the chocolate coin and lump of coal on xmas morning.

A hose? Total stealth boast. I just lob sponges at mine and they're grateful for it <hoiks bosom>

Never done them here or 1st December boxes either.

Did elf on the shelf for two years when dd's were younger, then I decided it was too much faff.

No Christmas Eve box or elf here.
Christmas bedding for the children goes on their beds around 1st December and they get a Christmasy book and Christmas pj's (not matching and are worn throughout the colder months).

No box and no plastic elf.
We have the real invisible elf's watching in this house.
Also father Christmas comes in at night on Christmas Eve and fills a sack with presents.
The same as when I was a child and has been done for generations.
Can't see the point of a Christmas box? Far too busy on Christmas Eve anyway 🤪

"No, I think they’re ridiculous. We put all our cash into the main event - a pile of lovely presents on Christmas morning! So exciting"

ALL of the cash?

We don’t. The advent calendar is pretty great and the kids are spoiled enough as it is!

It isn’t a tradition thet anyone in my family does, means nothing to me, just shops trying to sell stuff.

"just shops trying to sell stuff."

Where do you get your advent calendar from?

We don’t, nor Christmas pjs.

We do have nice traditions though…

Elf on the Shelf, seeing Santa at a lovely castle near where we live, going to the pantomime…

I’ve also bought some Christmas crafts and books etc which I’ll give DS with a chocolate advent calendar on Dec 1st :)