Mum says parents should ban 'nonsense' Christmas Eve boxes

The 2023 festive season is well underway, and with this comes varying Christmas traditions all over the world, both old and new.

Some celebrating families insist on going all out for Christmas - splashing the cash on the latest tech gifts.

While, for others, the sentiment of the holiday - spending time with your loved ones - is given precedence.

Whether you go big or prefer smaller stockings, however, there is one thing that has Christmas shoppers all over the UK feeling the tension this year - the ongoing cost of living crisis.

Prices of gifts have sky-rocketed as a result of inflation, while jobs are chopped and salaries stagnant, leading many British shoppers to understandably tighten their pursestrings and cut down on their festive spending.

With that in mind, there's one Christmas gift parents are being encouraged to steer clear of this year and it's the Christmas Eve box.

For those not in the know, it's where you get a box and fill it with pre-Christmas gifts for your family members to open and enjoy on Christmas Eve.

They're often packed with things for people to enjoy on the night before Christmas, like pyjamas to sleep in while Santa visits, thick socks to keep your feet warm on those cold December nights and other assorted gifts like hot chocolate or scented candles.

You can make your own, but many retailers now offer the chance to buy these gift boxes, and one mum has argued that with times being what they are, buying a Christmas Eve box is an expense you don't need this year.

TikToker @budgetingmum pointed out the flaw with the Christmas Eve boxes, explaining that 'the magic of Christmas will be in the memories you make as a family', not spending loads of money on a gift most won't get much use out of.

She said: "I know how easy it is to get sucked into these products thinking that it's gonna make a magical Christmas for your children.

"But I just wanted to say that it isn't. You don't need to spend £50 on matching pyjamas that you're all gonna wear once. Your children don't need a personalised Christmas Eve box.

"In my experience I just fill them with stuff they don't even look at and you don't need to have all of these fancy lights outside of your house, paying the electricity bills on them costing a fortune."

Lots of people in the comments under the video agreed with her, saying the boxes were a 'waste of money' and lamenting the 'amount of pressure on parents' to keep up with new and expensive trends.

A few others said they'd still 'want to do it' for their kids as it was something else to brighten up the festive period, while some said they'd be making their own.

The debate has since spread to other social media platforms, with some users calling for a 'ban' on Christmas Eve boxes.

"Since when did weans start getting f***ing Christmas Eve boxes n reindeer dust n all that nonsense man, fair enough the dust right is just dust but a mad box fulla stuff, heavy tory if u ask me," one tweeted.

Another wrote: "What’s all this Christmas Eve box b*****s? I don’t have kids but, I’ve kids in my life that I buy toys for. Have you SEEN the price of toys?!

"Like, I’m no skinflint but I can’t imagine the pressure on parents to buy and fill a Christmas Eve box as well. It’s nonsense."

"Christmas Eve Box - stupid commercial nonsense. Can have family time , hot chocolate and a film in jimjams without this stupidity," a third added.