Talk to me about Christmas Eve boxes

[Tinseltotties]

As a kid I used to get new pjs, an early gift (usually a book or crafts to keep me occupied and give my parents a break I suspect), a hot chocolate and a vhs/dvd. This sounds fairly similar to modern day Christmas Eve boxes, which I don’t remember being a thing then.

am I right? Is it just a more formal way of doing it? what do you put in yours? And when do the dc open it?

It wasn’t really a box! Just a gift and new pjs left on my bed every Christmas Eve. So that’s why I was interested to see if it was the same idea, just a bit more dressed up now.

I love Christmas Eve too and as @Gowlett says, sometimes it’s nice to spread out the Christmas cheer!

I was a very anxious child and I do wonder if my mum was trying to take the edge off the anticipation and create a bit of a calming bedtime ritual too @BowTiesPinkTail

and add a message to the same Christmas card every year.

@HolyMoly24 can you tell me more about this?? I love the sound of this. Like the kids just sign their name on the card? Or it’s a sort of ‘holiday newsletter’ annual update? How does it work?

It's from us not FC or elves

We always had new pyjamas on Christmas Eve and do the same with the kids because they are always growing anyway and I lived the feeling of new pjs for Christmas.

and watch a movie together with hot chocolate (that we already have).
soemtines the pyjamas have been Christmas themed when they are younger, and sometimes more just general but somewhat festive like tartan or red etc,or as they get older other things they like, but even ones with Santa were worn until outgrown because they are just pyjamas lol.
also yeh I think it’s basically the same idea.

my sister gave me a box one year and told me it’s for a Christmas Eve box and I asked her what to do with it and she said - where do you put your new pyjamas and I was like I give them to the kids haha.

we used the box that year but not again because it never really made a difference to what we already do really and the kids were confused lol.

My kids would have new PJs to open on Christmas Eve. That was about 15 years ago now.

Me and my partner add to the same Christmas card in the box every year. Just a short message saying something sweet about what she has done that year and hoping she has a magical Christmas. I think it will be lovely for her to read back all the messages one day, especially as we have ones from the pandemic etc

Presents on Christmas Day, like me, my parents and their parents before them.

I, tongue in cheek, disagree re DVDs. Sometimes only CEX has the perfect film, there are so many great films not on streaming services.

To answer your op; new pyjamas, sachet of hot chocolate plus mini marshmallows and DVD. Last year’s was Oliver! (Little humbling never hurt anyone) and it was bought from CEX for about a pound

Oh it's so magical! Enjoy while it lasts!

As a child we only did putting out a mince pie for Father Christmas and a carrot for the reindeer. Hot chocolate and something vaguely child appropriate Christmassy on the TV (this was pre videos). And the putting out of a pillow case for presents. I’ve done the same with my DC.

On Christmas Eve my children have always had new pyjamas, a Christmas tree decoration and a Christmas book. They are now 21 & 23 and still get the Christmas pyjamas and a tree decoration.

My kids are 15 and 20 and there was nearly a riot last uear when I suggested not having it!

We keep it very casual; random cardboard box, if they need something like PJ's they get them then but sometimes it's a pair of bed socks (once it was an existing pair of bed socks because I didn't think they needed anything new). A sachet each of hot chocolate and a pack of marshmallows, it used to be a charity shop dvd, then a voucher for a streamed film and normally now I put the pack of cards we normally play with in there. And the plate father Christmas gets his mince pie on, though obviously neither of them believe in Santa anymore, but tradition!

For us, it's the sign to stop and do something hugge as a family for an hour or two on Christmas eve. And apparently it's now 'tradition' and I'm not allowed to ever stop doing it 😆

@HolyMoly24 ohh so it’s a Christmas card to her! That’s such a gorgeous idea

Like Elf on the Shelf, best left alone.

Yes I think it’s such a lovely calming ritual. Happy to see it’s so popular with older dc too! I think I’ll definitely have to do it.

I often smile.when I see them and think they were my invention!

My DD is 28 and DS 26. My husband wanted them to open one Christmas present on Christmas Eve and I didn't, so we settled on buying them some new PJs, a Christmas book to read and a nice hot chocolate! We carried that on for many years.

It does appear to have become.formalised with real.boxes to put the stuff in now! What year it morphed into this I don't know!

me and my sister got new nighties/pjs on christmas eve and that's what I've carried on with my own children, well, I say children, they're in their mid 20s now and they still get new pjs and a hot chocolate station thing Christmas eve.

Christmas Eve boxes.
These were first given to children by performance parents. They received a major boost when first mentioned on MN, since when they have become a major part of Christmas in most MN homes.
They mostly contain the same items each year, this does not seem to matter.
They are rapidly becoming a tradition

among the members of MN, so much so that parents that struggled to afford Christmas previously are now prepared to be in more debt so that their children do not miss out.
There have been reports of Dec 1st boxes being given to children.

This reads like a poorly constructed ai report. At least I Hope this was AI and not that a real person bothered to write all that nonsense out and actually post it on this lovely thread

Load of bollocks.

Late 40s. Never had it as a child, never heard it as a child. Don't know anyone that does them and have never done them for my kids !

Yes! I'm late 30's and would always be allowed to open 1 present on Xmas eve. Also got pj's, selection box, pens, a book and a new outfit to wear on Xmas day.

I'm early 40s and never had this as a child. I've never done them for my DDs either, they are 13 and 10 now so won't be starting!

We do have an elf who usually leaves treats on Christmas Eve though (hot chocolate etc) but no pyjamas and not in a box or anything

We've always done it - pyjamas, socks, a book, DVD, hot chocolate, chocolate coins and a bath bomb or shower steamers. We still do it at nearly 17 and 14 - we put in a little card to say choose a Prime film these days now though.

I'm 45. Never had new pyjamas or books or hot chocolate or anything specifically for Christmas Eve or remember anyone else talking about it. So yes, it's a very new-fangled idea altogether to me.