What do you put in 1st December boxes vs Christmas Eve boxes?

[ChristmasIsComing2023]

What do you put in 1st December boxes vs Christmas Eve boxes??

Jesus Christmas is expensive enough without 1st December boxes and Christmas eve boxes and elf on the bloody shelf and all the other shit we are now all jumping on 😭 we had Christmas presents on Christmas day growing up and it was amazing. Kids just get used to the presents and shit and it makes Christmas day less special I feel. Advent calendars help the excitement and build up but no more than that in my house.

Why are advent calendars allowed but people can't buy winter pyjamas or get out their Christmas books? Some people always think their traditions are obviously fine but any one that does anything differently is clearly just 'jumping on shit'! 😂

Absolutely right.
I'm yet to read a good explanation as to why my children shouldn't have a nice box for their favourite Christmas books and baubles to be kept in, just whingey moaning types blathering on and on about expense and consumer culture.
It's very peculiar.

We do this for one of our nephews we look after. On 1st December he’ll get an advent calendar and a pile of Christmas books (The Works do ten books for £10 and they have some lovely Christmas ones) although these won’t be in a box.

On Christmas Eve, he’ll have some Christmassy themed bedding put on and his wooden Christmas Eve box (which I made) which will have new pyjamas (washed and ready to wear), a plate for Father Christmas (painted by his mum, with his hand prints on from his first Christmas), a copy of ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas’, a hot chocolate, a Colour in Christmas card and a small pack of crayons, so he can have some quiet time making a card to leave out for FC, and a bath bomb.

No boxes

Just Christmas

Our 1st December box came about by accident. It contains our advent book, mugs , bowls etc so stuff that gets used throughout the month. We don't do a Christmas eve box but when the kids were still living at home they would get a bath bomb for their Christmas eve bath.

Everyone has their own traditions and they are right for their family. We had Christmas books in the book shelves all year round. No specific decorations, mugs, bowls etc for the DC’s - just family things which came out when the tree was decorated. Didn’t buy bath bombs as DC’s had showers and not baths.

I’m a failure in Mn world as our tree is always down by the end of the year. Apparently it’s a rule in Mn that it must stay up to 12th night even when I explain we’re atheists and don’t follow advent.

1st of December, the kids wake up to the trees up but undecorated. They get their advent calendars, Christmas pjs and the big box of Christmas books* plus a new decoration each.

That afternoon/evening they decorate their bedroom trees and we'll read a Christmas story with hot chocolate.

Christmas Eve they get a christmassy bath bomb/bubble bath etc, a tree present (literally hanging on the tree after church) and a hot chocolate bomb.

*I rotate a lot of the kids books because we have loads of them. Christmas includes Winter themed things which stays out to March, when it gets replaced by Spring (and Easter). Then comes Summer which is mostly seasonal crafts and then Autumn which is probably our biggest section.

I don't understand any of this stuff about Xmas pyjamas, 1st December box etc. I live in a parallel universe where Xmas just doesn't exist except for the goose for lunch on 25th. Bliss.

@howdoesyourgardengrowinmay do you really do nothing else for Christmas? No decorations? No going to look at the local lights? No local Christmas fair? No presents?
I mean that's fine if you don't - but as most people do at least those it's hardly a parallel universe.

no tree, no decorations, no presents, no xmas music, can't stand xmas films.

Family isn't the slightest bit bothered - we've never done it.

I do make an exception for secret santa at work if I go to the company dinner - that's more of a social / catch-up opportunity rather than celebrating xmas, and I sometimes put plain lights (non flashing, no xmas theme) outside the front door when the clocks change, but (smugly) call them winter lights and they stay out until the clocks change again so there's a bit of light to come home to in the long autumn/winter; oh and if I'm out and about I notice other people's lights but I don't go looking for them (though there are some local displays that are so fucking awful they are worth a detour).

I'm not bah humbug. I'm just totally disinterested.

A bit like general elections, it just goes on and on and on and it's so nice when it stops. I mean, xmas music in the shops in September? lights and decorations in October? It's soooooo booooring .....

@howdoesyourgardengrowinmay well that's fine if you don't celebrate Christmas. It's not compulsory.
It's just you can't really say "I don't understand any of this stuff" about a festival you don't celebrate.

Yes I can, and I do

Elf brings blank letter to Santa,

Christmas Eve box is a selection box and a bath bomb

1st of December the xmas bedding, blanket, mug and PJs come out. Yes in a nice box with the advent calendar. The blanket mug and bedding are reused each year but I have a strange child who grows year on year the bloody weirdo.

Xmas eve box, bath bomb, hot chocolate, reindeer food, book, santa plate, a baking activity and an annual. All reused except for the annual and the new baking ingredients (usually the mince pies or shortbread we have on xmas day).

It can just be. sweet activity without murdering polar bears for fun.

I've never heard of a 1st December box and have never done a Christmas Eve box. Just some presents on Christmas Day feels like more than enough imho.

@howdoesyourgardengrowinmay sorry when you say "I do" do you mean you do celebrate Christmas?
Out of nosy curiosity how do you celebrate? Obviously it's a Christian festival really but most of what people do to celebrate is cultural and evolved over the years and doesn't have much to do with the actual birth of Christ story.
You said it's "boring" - why do you find it boring? I personally find it gives me a purpose during the dark winter days. I often joke the real reason for Christmas to exist is to stop (northern hemisphere) humans hibernating for 4 months.
You don't have to answer any of that if you don't want to. As I said I am just being nosy.

What I meant was, I can (and I do) comment on any festival, even if I don't celebrate the festival.

The thing about xmas in the UK is that it invades everyone's space whether one 'celebrates' the actual festival or not, it's quite hard to avoid. Yes we live in a so-called 'Christian' country, but really it's not about religion here but all about retail sales and TV viewing ratings.

I do a 1st December thing so this year the blasted elf is arriving but only because after Christmas I will probably tell my 10 year old about Santa but I wanted one last year of magic. I also put out advent calendar, bedding (same for a few years) , new pjs, colouring books, reward chart, Christmas crafts.

Christmas Eve we do a box with more pjs, a hot chocolate bomb, selection boxes, a nice list certificate, reindeer food, and lush shower gel/bath bomb.

I think everyone is free to do what they want. My children are getting older now so I won't have many years of this left so I want to make the most of it as we all love Christmas. I don't spend loads of money. For example I always buy the Christmas pjs in the January sales for the following Christmas.

We do a Christmas box which arrives under the tree the evening the tree goes up which is usually first weekend December. It includes Xmas pjs, Xmas mugs (same each year), choc Santa, few bags of snacks and biscuits. Maybe a bath bomb for dd. I also put in a pair of fluffy socks. Putting in for baby dd her baby milk as she only has that. The treats and snacks last us until Christmas so it’s nice to have a box to go root around in if we’re peckish on an evening.

I don’t do a Xmas eve box as we have Xmas next day and it’s way too much stuff to appreciate so close together.

@howdoesyourgardengrowinmay oh ok. I understand you.
I wouldn't really say Christmas is "in your face" (unless you work in retail then it is - I did that for 20 years and hated Christmas for those 20 years). It's quite easy to ignore what's not relevant to you. For example the Christmas pyjamas. Don't want them, don't need them, don't buy them (I don't).

I completely agree and wish the Grinches would just leave us be on the Christmas board. Because if we can't talk about our Christmas traditions on here, where can we?

And so many people on MN wouldn't bat an eyelid at expensive advent calendars, pantomimes and Christmas markets, ice skating, buying winter pyjamas as one point in winter, picking up some Christmas activities and books for their DC, buying some new ornaments and setting up a hot chocolate station. But the minute a parent (who may not be able to afford many/any outings) puts in a bit of effort to make a special breakfast on 1st Dec or to present some pyjamas and books, maybe an ornament and hot chocolate powder in a fun way, the judgement starts.

When I was a child my mum used to make things extra fun and magical for us. I know how much these little things can mean so much. So I don't care, I can't afford all the expensive things but I'll be damned if the judgement is going to stop me having these special times on 1st December or Christmas Eve! 😄🎄🎁

What you doing on the Christmas board then? 😂🎄