Does nearly everyone do Christmas Eve boxes now?

[Inyournewdress]

Just wondering about this, because dd is two and will be three in spring so she is becoming more aware about Christmas. She doesn’t know about Christmas Eve boxes yet.

I feel that really she’ll have enough and it could be too much, too overwhelming or even lessen the impact of the presents on Christmas Day morning. But I also would be happy to put one together so I am thinking, is it inevitable that she’ll end up having one anyway once she’s at school because everyone else does? Or is it still a minority thing?

Although people don't like to admit it... People have given new pyjamas on Christmas eve, put out snacks for Santa, hung stockings etc for years before Christmas Eve Boxes became A Thing. It just has a name now.

Absolutely not. But there are plenty of things we don’t do that others do - elf on the shelf, huge piles of presents etc

We do modest presents as our children get so much stuff anyway, and gift their older things to charity.

I do like matching pyjamas (don’t throw me off MN) but we’ve had the same ones for years.

ultimately, do what you want and what’s right for your family, but imo it’s better to start out more modest rather than setting yourself up to have to do Christmas Eve boxes every year

We don't and my children have never mentioned them. The youngest did come home last year really hoping an elf would come to our house having heard it talked about loads - so one has come here now (thought we had avoided that!).

God I sound right up my own arse in that post, sorry, I just meant everyone can do what’s right for them, not that one approach is better than any other

Now I think about it @PuttingDownRoots my auntie did start a thing years ago where we all opened one tree present on Christmas
Eve to ‘save time’ the next day 😄

I don't think these extras add much, if anything they take away from the magic of Christmas. I have a two and four year old and we don't do elf on the shelf or Christmas Eve boxes. The only thing I do is give them Christmas pjs on 1st December so they get their wear out of them! I think it's much nicer to have your own family traditions than jump on a bandwagon

As said above, nearly everyone i know has a christmas eve tradition, decorating cookies, bath bomb, new pjs, fluffy socks, milk/brandy for santa, reindeer dust, carrot, theyre just what i can think of that we have done over the years, nothing special, it all just comes presented in a box. Last year i got a few little bits from the works which were christmas themed like a colouring book with stickers, O's and X's, and scratch art. This was purely so the kids were occupied with things while i ran last minute errands and prepped the dinner.

Honestly, I think it’s one of those things that Mners think everyone does, so they do it. There are a lot of people who struggle with everyday life here, and who seem to get very anxious in compensation about ‘creating magic’ and ‘making memories’. Hence all those posts about ‘how many extracurriculars does your reception-aged child do?’ Or ‘how many Christmas activities are you doing with your child this year — Santa’s Grotto, Winter Wonderland, bauble-making, Christmas cookie decorating session, pantomime, switching on the lights etc etc?’

It also strikes me that as a significant minority on here are happiest on the sofa in their pyjamas and the front door double locked, they like the idea of a Christmas Eve ‘tradition’ that for once legitimates that.

When I was little we got new jammies, a film and sweets on Christmas Eve. We do the same but I present it in a box and call it a Christmas Eve box. I don’t add presents etc although I put in a book now dvds are obsolete

We don't do a box, or an elf

Nope, but we do do 1 December 'boxes' - this is just their advent calendar, a new Christmas book, a Christmas ornament, Christmas jumper and maybe a craft.

Much better than Christmas Eve box in my opinion, they get use of the items for much longer and appreciate them more because it isn't then superceded by lots more presents the next day!

No idea if everyone does - we do mainly because during covid the kids decorated an old cardboard box so beautifully (in my eyes) that it became a decoration and then felt natural to use it as an Xmas eve box.

Ours has a sweet treat (this year it's a popcorn chocolate bar from Aldi), something to wear (like fluffy socks/pjs/onesie/blanket - one of those I mean), a family game and 1 small present from under the tree. Nothing extra - just stuff that would otherwise have been given on Xmas day.

The something to wear is never Xmas themed so that they can wear it all year.

No box and no elf.

No way, I feel it ruins the excitement for Christmas Day! We do nice things though - buffet, put a film on, hot choc

No, but dc get new pjs (because they grow and that’s practical 😂)

No, don’t do it and never will! Why give Christmas pyjamas that will then hardly get any wear as Christmas is the following day?
I give Christmas pyjamas with the advent calendar so that they can be worn all of December. As lots of PP have said most people have things they do on Christmas Eve that don’t all get put into a box. My DD has never been aware they are a thing and has never asked.

I just put stuff in it that we would be doing that day, plus new toothbrush and pjs.

No. Never have. Don't like them. Don't see the point.

Do what works for you. I've done one since my kids were small. It's changed slightly over the years, but the core things stay the same. Santa plate, night before Christmas book, nice biscuits small bottle of whiskey for Santa, a bottle of nice red wine ( for me!) Cola in glass bottles & some snacks. It used to have a Christmas DVD, but now we just choose something from Netflix, etc.

Same. Gifts are for Christmas DAY.

I’d wait until they’re old enough to talk to friends about it. To find out I mean, not so they can boast!

I think it depends what you are actually doing on Christmas Eve and whether you need to keep your children occupied. In some families the parents are still at work on Christmas Eve and the children at child minders or grandparents so it's just another day.
Other families spend the whole day traveling to the other side of the country to get to relatives. Others in the supermarket. Others at a nice children's service at the local church.
If your children are spending the whole day following you around moaning "is it Christmas yet" on repeat then a few Christmas themed activities/toys to do might be nice.

Absolutely not doing all that shite. Husband can if he wants to, but he doesn't give a rat's arse either.

We do one for DS but it’s just a chocolate Santa or reindeer, new PJs and a carrot for Rudolph. This year he doesn’t need new PJs so I got him some Christmassy slipper socks instead.