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?

Nope, no Xmas eve boxes here, or elf on the shelf for that matter.

Xmas eve tradition is just to put out a mince pie and drink for father Christmas (and no it's not on a personalised plate or anything)

Unpopular opinion maybe but I think it dilutes the magic of Xmas day to do all this extra stuff beforehand.

Same!

It's not a thing around my friends and family. Only a couple of FB friends do.

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?’
This is so true.

In my offline world people buy Christmas pyjamas around November or December and they're worn through into the new year, or longer. They might watch a film on Christmas eve together and then different families have their own Santa traditions. No big deal.

It's only on here, and in shops that sell lots of Christmas stuff, that I see the idea of a Christmas eve box, personalised stuff for kids, new matching family pyjamas, a new film to watch, hot chocolate kits, Christmas eve snacks, a gift on Christmas eve, curated family personalised plates for Santa and Rudolph with each of the children's names and ages on.

In my head the Christmas Eve box /magic of Christmas/snuggles and hot chocolate is started to get filed in the same category of "short on money? Can you take ironing in" and "relationship going awfully and you're struggling with the burdens of life? Have a spa day".

We do a box, but like others have said, it's all stuff I'd have got on Christmas Eve as a kid 30+ years ago - new pjs, a christmas book that's been in rotation for a few years now, some little chocolate treat and a new toothbrush! It's not really gifts, just all those bits put in a box.

Ugh sorry for quoting the OP. I'm annoyed at my own MN faux pas

No, sod that. And the elf. It's just creating more work for us when we have enough already.

@LolaSmiles 😀

Our elves leave a Christmassy book for reading together on Christmas Eve. We have hot chocolate and watch a movie. I couldn’t be doing with organising another box

We don't do them and I think most people don't.

We used to do new pj’s and a book for Christmas Eve, new PJs for Christmas morning photos, book to read before bed Christmas Eve. As they got older we stopped doing it and spent the money on a take away instead. I’m not keen on adding more tat to the house, there seems to be so much commercial crap at Christmas now with elf on the bloody shelf, North pole breakfasts on the 1st of December, fancy advent calendar and Christmas Eve boxes, I think we have all forgotten what Christmas is about?

You don’t have to do all these things, your child won’t feel neglected if you don’t do everything everyone else does.

As a child we always had new pyjamas on Christmas Eve, way before 'Christmas eve boxes'.

We have always done this (20+ years) and my parents did a version 40+ years ago when we got new pyjamas and ingredients to bake gingerbread every Christmas Eve.

Ours get pyjamas, fluffy socks, a few treats for a movie and the same book they have long since outgrown yet all flick through. Nothing more than what they would get anyway only pyjamas/socks a day early.

DS is 5 and we’ve avoided the elf and the Christmas Eve box. He hasn’t heard of either of them.

A friend who has kids in high school told me what a hard time she has filling the box now they’re older as they still expect it. Little ones are happy with crayons, colouring books, hot chocolate sets etc. As they get older you end up putting more expensive things in.

For me, it felt like making a rod for my own back. There’s so much expectation to do all these events it can feel overwhelming. DS is in year 1 and has 4 school Christmas events this week, all needing outfits, payments and prep work. Add in the things we want to do with him like visit Father Christmas, go and see the Christmas lights in town and it’s a huge expense and mental load.

I love Christmas and making it magical for my family but I draw my line at thinking up extra ‘stuff’ to fill a box with when they’re getting lots of lovely gifts the following day.

Everyone does Christmas so differently and we all have our own idea of what makes it ‘perfect’ so go with your gut, but be prepared to do it every year!

For me it’s one of those ‘only on Mumsnet’ things. Just doesn’t happen where I live.

I have a 10yr old
we’ve never done Xmas Eve box, it’s just more stuff to organise and get rid of later that she doesn’t need or actually want.
we don’t do elf on a shelf either
she has never mentioned it either so she’s not bothered.
we do advent calendars, stockings, we used to put things out for Santa when she believed.
.

No, we just do stockings and presents.

No we dont

Just start the traditions you want to have - that won’t tie you in knots for the next 20 years

Theres enough with the decorations and the food - we don’t need more generations of kids who want more and more
You do you - kids accept what their families do as ‘normal’

Enjoy the magic of Xmas with a little one - that’s so special

In my house, elves arrive on 1st December, bringing the advent calendars.
The elves don't do tricks or anything throughout the month, they just move overnight to a new place.
The elves then leave on Christmas Eve, leaving new pyjamas and sometimes a new mug for hot chocolate or a blanket to use while we watch a movie that night.
So yes, but I would have given everything anyway, even if it didn't now have a special name.

My son is turning 2 and we have no intention of starting Christmas Eve boxes (or December 1st boxes, or Elf on the Shelf...) and certainly won't consider doing any of that until he's old enough to express any kind of opinion on the subject. He has some Christmassy PJs which I bought when he needed new warm pyjamas a month or so ago, but that's the extent of it.

Do these things if you want to do them, not because you think everyone else is and you feel you should.

Hell no. It's enough hassle just providing Christmas stockings and family gifts.

I CBA to do a box or run an Elf police state. But kudos to those who do put in the time and effort.

I am 53 and don't know what a Christmas Eve box is, so I am sure your child will survive just fine without one.

I'm 43 and was always allowed to open a small gift from under the tree on xmas eve of new pyjamas to wear and had snacks etc. I've always done xmas eve stuff with my ones before it even had a name and before the Joy's of the internet.

I think it's a pretty even split.

My sons are in their 20s now and I've always done Christmas eve boxes. The dreaded new pyjamas and a hot chocolate 😂 that gets much scorn on here I'm afraid.
I think I put my fucks down somewhere over there but I can't find them or maybe I'd give some.

Everyone should do what they enjoy. Make or carry on little traditions that mean something to them.