Christmas Eve Boxes Inspiration

[XStitcher87]

What do you all put in your Christmas Eve boxes? I have a 1 and 3 yo. I usually do some PJs, a Christmas themed book, a cuddly toy and something edible. I’d love some ideas for older kids as we do them with our cousins or if I’m missing any tricks with my little ones.

Also I realise Christmas Eve boxes are a fairly new phenomenon, so if you don’t agree with them that’s fine but let’s keep this an inspiration thread!

There is nothing wrong with doing this and still choosing a sustainable route. For my kids (now adults) I’ve always put in toiletries like their favourite lush soap/bathbomb, winter themed pjs, hot chocolate, Marshmallows, a book/set, socks, art consumables but I started giving the boxes on the 1st dec so they get more usage and then just do a snack box for Xmas Eve. All things I would have already purchased.

We don’t do Christmas Eve boxes, but a 1st December box. Pretty much the same thing though we just do it earlier as DD1’s birthday is 18th December so it spreads it out a bit more.

our girls are 6 and 4 and will get:
PJs, Advent calendar, a Christmas story book or colouring book, a bauble for the tree relating to something from the year, cozy socks, chocolates or sweets.

our Elves bring them when they arrive along with some kind of treat breakfast (star waffles or cereal they don’t usually have) and when the elves leave they leave their stockings and our copy of the night before Christmas that we’ve had since the year DD1 arrived

We did a family box last year as the kids were getting older but one thing I popped in was a Lego Christmas ornaments set. It had four in and so we had one each.

Just found my this on my notes from last year:
cookie baking set✔️ Speculoos cookies✔️ Lego ornaments set✔️ Hot chocolate & squirty cream✔️festive socks✔️

I set up a christmas/north pole breakfast and the elves bring a basket of goodies for their last day. Always a gingerbread house kit each and some kind of christmas craft/colouring/puzzle. Means they have something to keep them busy for an hour or so to let us get on with some food prep. And they bring out their stockings and the santa plate etc for putting santas snack out. And Twas the night before christmas book. The rest of the christmas books/pyjammas/clothes etc come out when the elves arrive december 1st so we get the good of them all month.

I don’t do a box because most of the contents would go in their stockings the next day so it seems pointless to me. Also Christmas Eve is busy so little free time. Their xmas mugs come out on the 1st & they have copious amounts of hot chocolate through the month. I also have a collection of christmas books so we read these over the month.

I also do a North Pole breakfast which they love

I always did things to use on xmas eve. So new PJs to wear that night, a bath bomb/crazy foam shower gel, and a book. Usually an activity, like an xmas themed craft kit or game.

Now they are a bit older, and non-believers, we have enough xmas books and games, so i don't do that any more.

I sometimes put food/drinks in, but we never get time to eat them on xmas eve, so I've stopped that.

Last year, I bought them hoverballs for their stockings, and too late, realised that they were total junk. So I put them in their xmas eve boxes, and they played with them all day until they fell to bits. I felt like that was more use than they would have got if opening alongside better presents.

This year, we will be out all day, so will just do onsies and maybe crazy soap for when we get home.

I don’t do a Christmas Eve box, but I think it’s a lovely tradition.

My Dc are nearly all adults now.

I put out a Christmas table cloth and Christmas napkins and napkin rings on 1st December, and the Christmas plates and cups that we use for the festive season, and we have an Advent candle and the Advent calendars on the table in the morning. Everyone puts cosy Christmas bedding on their beds.
We get out the 1000 piece Christmas jigsaw, and complete it bit by bit over the month.

On the night of 5th December, for the feast of St Nicholas, the Dc put their boots out by the front door and they get filled with chocolate, nuts and apples. If there’s something like a show we’re going to before Christmas, I’ll add the tickets, or a new Christmas jumper, sometimes a tree decoration.

On Christmas Eve, we always read the same book together after dinner. We all get to open one present from under the tree, and it’s always pyjamas for everyone!

DH and youngest put out a plate with a carrot and mince pie and a glass of wine or beer, and the Dc hang up their stocking like they always have.

They are actually not remotely a new phenomenon.

The tradition came about in WW2 with due to mass evacuations causing an influx of culture blending. Many Europeans celebrate on Christmas eve not Christmas day and during the war paper wasn't rationed so a push was made to start the tradition of a book as a gift along with snacks and other stuff you would have with a celebration. My mam had it in the 60s (she kept her books and gave them to me when I was little, mostly Bunty annuals etc...). She carried it one with us and now we do with our kids.

The only 'new' part is putting it in a 'box', traditionally it was left on the foot of the bed but wrapping does not make it 'new'.

We do it the same as you PJs, book, teddy, snacks + we also have some get ready for bed stuff like a new toothbrush and bath bomb.

You Christmas eve tradition sounds like just a variant on the tradition before putting it to a box became a thing.

How is it over consumption?

Which bit do you specifically object too as 'overconsumption'?

Children being clothed?

Children being fed?

Children receiving hygiene supplies and being washed?

Children being provided with books to expand there minds?

Or is it that there might be a small gift like a teddy etc...?

Because if you begrudge children a teddy at Christmas give your head a wobble and if you begrudge the rest then I don't even know what to say.

There is literally nothing in a standard Xmas eve box/tradition that is wasteful or consumerist... the whole tradition came about to NOT be wasteful in a time when we under strict rationing.

Getting happy memories from this. We did December 1st stuff and Christmas Eve. Grown up kids are lovely, functioning members of society. 😁

Most of the stuff is what we already had or we would be doing anyway so not loads of extra crap.

1st December

• Christmas shaped pasta (from Lakeland)
• Christmas/Winter themed brushed cotton bedding came out. Reused yearly and used until March
• Advent calendars
• little Christmas cards or card kits
• other craft kits, some really cheap like printoffs of snowflake templates or paperchain kit
• when they were older bits for making wreath or garlands
• Christmas cookie cutters or decorate biscuit kit or gingerbread house
• jumpers if they needed them

Christmas Eve

• new pyjamas so everyone looked tidy in Christmas morning photos
• Twas the Night Before Christmas book
• melty hot chocolate things
• cocktail bits when they were much older
• a family jigsaw for between Christmas and NY
• anything else shared like a new family board game or card game (or DVD in them olden days)

Christmas Eve the kids, once old enough, would lay the table ready for dinner, make place cards, collect some greenery from the garden to make a centre piece for table, learn new origami folds for the napkins....

We did a family secret santa too (so kids would have to think about a gift for someone) so the gifts would start to secretly appear on the table. Happy days.

Nothing says Christmas like hygiene supplies.
Do better.

There's a big difference between being given Tesco basics no particular smell shower gel and being given a Christmasy smelling, colour changing, extra foaming shower gel that comes in a bottle the shape of a Christmas tree.
Yes it's all just soap really but to a child one is exciting to get and is a treat.

The modern Christmas Eve Box given to children—usually filled with new pyjamas, a festive book, hot chocolate, and a movie—is a completely separate, very recent phenomenon.It began gaining massive commercial popularity in the UK and North America in the 2010s.Retailers capitalized on a blend of European traditions.

This is in addition to stockings and presents hence overconsumption which amongst other things is wrecking the planet.

Nothing to do with rationing.

Correct.

Was referring to an oddly worded (AI slop?) previous post.

Tbf some people stink!

Our Christmas Eve box is pretty much the exact same every year to keep the magic but avoid overconsumption. So we have the night before Christmas book, a ticket to watch a film, some new pj’s (but ones that will last a while, not Christmas themed), and then some hot chocolate and a bath bomb.

I won't bother with the box thing but there are some lovely Christmas Eve tradition ideas on this thread. I think an activity, special edible treat, book and PJs are enough. Anything else that feels more like a gift might dampen the excitement of Christmas Day for little ones - a December box, Christmas Eve box makes gifting and surprises more routine than building up to an extra special day ahead

On 1st of December we put Christmas bedding on, hang advent calendars (we had them made, material ones with names on them so we put whatever we like in them including little slips of paper with an activity on for example “go and pick Christmas tree and bauble” and “make christmassy shortbread/cookies”, little choc coins etc) then on the 1st weekend we go and pick our Christmas tree and let DD choose a new bauble, we picked for her first year and will do the same for DS this year, decorate the tree with Christmas music playing and watch a Christmas movie etc.

Christmas Eve boxes -
My 3 year old has always had, Christmas pjs, reindeer food, letter from Father Christmas, a Christmas book for Christmas Eve and some kind of sweets/chocolate gift, Christmassy small toy or little snow globe and her empty stocking to hang up.

Have a 1 year old son this year so will keep it simple and do letter from Father Christmas (I keep them all as keepsakes in their memory boxes in the loft with the date on so they can look at them one day if they wish), some reindeer food, Christmas babygrow and a little Christmassy toy or cuddly toy and his stocking.

Last year we went to a pottery place and we decorated a Christmas plate with DS footprint on (2.5 months old at the time) and DD’s hand print and we use that for Father Christmas and Rudolph’s treats.

My DC are late teens now, but since they were born they've had something sweet, something to drink, something to do (book or card game) and a special bauble in their box. I write the year on the bottom of the bauble and keep it relevant to their interests at the time so they range from trains, to trainers to margaritas. Now they are young adults they each have their own bauble box which they put on the tree and we laugh about and they'll take with them into their own homes.

Lump of coal.
Donation to a charity to the value of the shite I’d put in the box otherwise that will chucked out/forgotten in 2 hours.

If it's "chucked out/forgotten in 2 hours" I think you might be doing it wrong 😂😂😂

I put in an annual (usually football or Roblox etc)
pack of malteser reindeers
a mini Lego pack
small teddy or novelty cup
Christmas bath bomb

Do better than what?

Someone doesn't understand the concept of 'tradition'. The concept is real simple, its not our fault your understanding challenged.