Burr basket/ December 1st basket

[girdlehurdle]

For anyone who hates Christmas Eve boxes or anything of the ilk, this won’t be the thread for you!!

But I wanted to share this as I’ve become obsessed with these on Instagram! I didn’t realise I’d actually been creating my own ‘burr’ basket for a few years now. I used to do the kids a Christmas Eve box but I found it would get lost in all the presents once the big day itself was here and also the things just didn’t get much use. Now, I do them a little basket that I give them on December 1st so they can really get use out of the things I put inside. Both get an advent calendar, pair of Xmas pyjamas and slippers. For my DD, so far I’ve got some Xmas stick on nails, Xmas beauty blender and Xmas knickers. I’m on the lookout for some Xmas socks and will also add some sweets and a Xmas book. My son has some Xmas pants and a puzzle book.

If anyone else does these or has any ideas, please share!

We always used to have a Christmas film on DVD, but I don't suppose there's much call for that anymore!

We used to get a book of vouchers that would be things like 'one visit to see Santa', 'one trip to the outside ice rink', 'one winter lights walk' etc.

Always the bits for a Christmas Craft.

Sometimes a hot water bottle or a cosy blanket or a Christmas teddy.

A hot chocolate sachet and some marshmallows and/or popcorn for the Christmas movie.

Back in the day when you used to send Christmas Cards to everyone in your class we'd get a box of Christmas Cards to send.

We were broke growing up so my Mum did a lot of stuff that was free/low cost/we needed anyway but completely magical too.

Love these ideas, thanks for sharing. I try to keep them low cost too because they’ll get presents, this is more just for fun and to get in the festive mood. A Christmas DVD would’ve been a great shout, such a shame they’ve been phased out!

Love the book of vouchers idea. I think they’d find that really exciting and can’t go wrong with a hot chocolate sachet

Ohhh I do this too. Makes so much more sense to me to have something for all of December. I do an advent calendar, Christmas pjs and a legami Christmas pen. This year they are the nutcracker ones and they are really sweet. I'm doing a hot chocolate station this year but you could add some bits for nice hot chocolates. Tempted to get them both a Christmas mug and add that in. I think I'll get some socks too. I usually set the table with a festive table cloth and poinsetta and have a bit of a Christmas themed breakfast! Ive just ordered some of those nail stickers things from mylee in the black Friday sale too! So exciting. Oh and I've got some crafty things to do over December like make our own felt gingerbread decorations so I'll add them in. You could maybe add a new bauble?

Love the idea of some Christmas knickers tho, they would find that amusing!

I found the Christmas knickers and pants on Next, I thought they were cute and my DS still wears the ones I got him from last year so they’ve more than had their use 😂

Yep. We do a 1st Dec bag. My kids are still small, so it has advent calendars, Christmas bedding, Christmas jumpers, Christmas PJs and all the Christmas books we've collected over the years.

What's a burr basket? Do you mean brrrr, as in shivering?

I think it's a good idea if you were getting all the things in it anyway - having things like Xmas pyjamas and socks for the whole of the run-up makes sense. They're a bit wasted if you get them on the big day, so you'll get best value by giving those things as an advent gift.

I've never heard of a burr basket, but I assume it means 'brrrr 🥶'. I understand the need to cosy up and have comforting things around you when it's dark and wintry.

I personally thought it referred to the months Sept-Dec as all are burrr sounding in the end (yes aware it’s ber)

I do something similar. We have a box of christmas books we have collected over the years that ceremoniously gets taken down from my wardrobe on Dec 1st. So older children/ teens maybe a christmas novel to read.

They get their advent calenders and for myself and DH we get a christmas WASJIG to complete by xmas eve. Means we spend some time together in the build up to the day.

Ìve done a basket for 1st dec and it's got matching pyjamas in it, xmas cards from the pets and some pamper things for myself and ds 15 and I've put in a new hot water bottle and cosy blanket for ds. Theres also a book for each of us to read and a few other items like diffusers and candles and a quiz type game. It's a mix of christmas and winter themed things which would be needed or used regardless. Advent calanders will be put out beside it for the 1st.

I've also got another one for xmas eve with pyjamas and pamper items, and a who wants to be a millionaire giant quiz cracker.

I’m doing them as well this year! Fluffy blankets, pjs, slippers, advents, smelly gingerbread things for their rooms and I can’t remember what else I need to have a look later!

My DS is only small but Ive got pjs, couple of new Christmas themed books (I swap his normal books out with the Christmas books from previous years). Some Santa shaped biscuits, some hot chocolate sticks and some Christmas crafts to do throughout the month. It's stuff I would normally buy for the festive season.

The reason why you get Christmassy things for Christmas is because traditionally it's the start of the Christmas period which goes on till Candlemas on 2nd Feb. So giving Christmas themed gifts of 1st Dec and then stopping using them on 25th Dec means you actually use them less.

It is commercial interests that drive the push forward of Christmas to encourage us all to spend lots of money. It makes much more sense to follow the traditional pattern and have the coldest month of the year (January) as the time of hunkering down and staying inside and having lots of lights and candles and spending time with family and eating warming foods rather the craziness of the current Advent period with every organisation having a Christmas event so by the time actual Christmas arrives people are fed up of the excess and try and deny themselves in January (while also booking a big summer holiday somewhere hot). If we celebrate a traditional Christmas by the end of it the days are feeling a bit longer and life feels a bit more hopeful.

@JaninaDuszejkoI do agree with you. I hate the current trend to take the Xmas tree down on Boxing Day and pack up Xmas as soon as the day itself is over. Why the rush? Probably because people put their trees up as soon as Hallowe’ens over and there sick of the sight of it by the time Christmas actually comes around! My birthday is the 2nd Jan and as a child, it was always very festive still but now it’s sales, diets and doom and gloom!

@autumn1610I couldn’t work this out either. I thought it meant a ‘brr’ basket as it’s cold or ‘bee’ for December but they’re called Burr baskets on social media. I think it’s an American thing. Maybe someone can enlighten us?!

I get your point, I wouldn't dream of finishing Christmas on Boxing Day. But by getting things like pyjamas at the start of December, it's an excuse to enjoy the festive feeling they might for 6 weeks instead of 2. By 12th night we're all pretty much over it.

I'm all for getting good value out of these things, I'm wearing Christmassy socks right now. I don't wear them year-round, but I'm happy to as soon as Christmas is on my radar.

I wasn’t going to get Christmas bedding as I didn’t want to spend £20 on it but I found some really goods in Asda if anyone’s in the market for them for £10. A little bit excessive, probably, but I know it’ll make them so happy

Oooh that bedding is cute! Also going to steal the idea of putting a Christmas reed defuser in for them. I've also got a litre Christmas cactus in a penguin and Christmas pudding plant pot which they will like. We definitely don't take everything down straight after Christmas but I do like it to be down before we go back to school! Don't put the tree up until 12th December though so it still looks good for the big day! I haven't managed to find any Christmas knickers though that will fit them! Gutted 🤣

We've always done a 1st December box rather than a Christmas eve box.

It contains,

• Christmas PJs
• Christmas Outfits (new jumper or similar)
• The santa plate
• Any new christmas crafts

Plus it has the first days book - we do an advent of books (we got them from the works) - DH does a treasure hunt every morning with the clue to the book location in her advent calendar.

We also have Christmas bedding which will go on the beds at some point around the 1st.
A Christmas tablecloth.
Christmas crockery.

I bought something every year for a while :D

I give Grandson a box on 1st December it contains the Christmas sweater and long sleeved tops that I buy in January of that year for just a pound or two and Christmas socks and gloves and a hat bought at the same time. He wears these from December 1st until he returns to school after the holiday and dd puts them on Vinted the following November. His Advent calendar, a book with a Christmas theme and a bauble that reflects his interests that year so that by the time he is eighteen he will be able to track his childhood interests by the baubles on his tree. This year it's a Minecraft one from Etsy, last year it was Minions.

DD (23yo) loves a Dec 1st Box .
(I used to make her a Beauty Advent Calendar with a re-used gift box and wooden number tags )
She has face care , nail polishes, hair care , some jewellery , pyjamas , shower gel , always a foot mask sock thingey .
She likes to use these all December to give herself some pampering .

And our winter bedding went on !st November (it's winter not Christmas but DD has a festive fleece)

DH (26yo) gets a years worth of socks,pants, lounge wear , and some toiletries

Chocolate of course

Thanks for sharing all of the ideas, it’s getting me in the festive spirit!

We have a basket which is left on the doorstep by our Christmas elf when we gat home from church after the Advent procession on the first Sunday of Advent (which is usually the last Sunday of November). It is lit up with fairy lights and contains Lumi the elf (and her various supplies built up over the years) a letter from Lumi, advent calendars, advent candles, Christmas cards to write and send, our collection of Christmas books, some sort of Christmas biscuit/mince pies, hot chocolate/mulled wine, and a candy cane each. Maybe a wreath for the door, although we would usually make one.