Christmas Eve is such a magical and special time in the festive season. For anyone who celebrates Christmas, the night before is often filled with excitement and anticipation of the big day that is just around the corner.
The magic of Christmas Eve is particularly special for young children and a Christmas Eve box is the perfect way for everyone to spend time together enjoying the spirit of the season and preparing for what fun lies ahead.
Perhaps a Christmas Eve box is already a well-engrained part of your Christmas tradition, or maybe this is the first you are hearing of it. Wherever you are in the journey, we’ve got plenty of great ideas to help you create the perfect Christmas Eve box.
What does a Christmas Eve box look like?
As with most Christmas traditions, there are no hard and fast rules about the what and the how.
A Christmas Eve box can be anything that you and your family decide to work for you. We love the idea of a personalised wooden box. Something that is made of good quality and long-lasting material with the family or children’s names beautifully featured on the top is not only practical for the purpose but it also creates a precious keepsake to form part of this special tradition for many years to come.
Alternatively, you could opt to make a family craft activity out of it and decorate your own box. Or perhaps your Christmas Eve box is in fact, not a “box” at all. You might use a special basket or bag instead.
What is inside a Christmas Eve box?
Just as there are no rules as to what your Christmas Eve box should look like, you can put in there whatever you would like to make Christmas Eve special for you and your family (and any other special guests that might be a t your place on Christmas Eve!).
To give you some inspiration, here are some of our favourite things to include.
Christmas Spirit
Set the mood with a selection of things to do together that give you that festive feeling.
It might be a special book to read together before bedtime. Or a box of popcorn and a favourite Christmas movie to enjoy.
What about a Christmas CD or playlist to listen to as you enjoy the evening?
Christmas Eve is also a great time for a family Christmas craft or baking activity, with your Christmas music in the background too of course! Your Christmas Eve box could contain the important pieces that you need to make or bake something special together.
Ready for Santa
A big part of Christmas Eve is getting ready for Santa.
Use your Christmas Eve box to get together all the bits and pieces you need for Santa’s impending arrival.
It could be a Christmas stocking or sack for Santa fill. And snacks and beverages for Santa and his team of trusty reindeer. Don’t forget Santa’s Magic Key so that he can make his special delivery.
Look the part
We spend a great deal of time and effort dressing up our house and so we should also make a big deal out of dressing ourselves too.
You might like to include some festive hats and headbands for everyone to wear on Christmas Day. Or perhaps a special set of pyjamas to wear on Christmas Eve or an outfit for Christmas Day.
Special traditions
You might already have some special traditions for Christmas Eve or Christmas Day that you can incorporate into your Christmas Eve box.
Maybe it’s a special bauble or tree decoration that you hang together on Christmas Eve or a precious ornament or keepsake that honours someone who is no longer around to celebrate with you in person.
Create a magical Christmas
If you’re having trouble deciding exactly what to put in there, or perhaps find that you’ve chosen too many things and can’t fit them all in, you could consider it more as Christmas box, and use it throughout the lead up to Christmas, rather than only on Christmas Eve.
Perhaps the box is used each week throughout December with the first week being a baking or craft theme, the second week is decorating or books and movies, the third week is outfits and accessories and of course Christmas Eve is then reserved for the essential items for the night ahead.
However, you decide to create and fill your Christmas Eve box we are sure that it will quickly become a treasured tradition in your home as you create many beautiful Christmas memories together.
The Christmas Cart has a wide range of Christmas gifts, keepsakes, and décor available online that are perfect for filling your Christmas Eve box and creating a magical Christmas tradition in your home. Explore the website and be sure to visit the blog and our Inspiration Gallery to inspire your Christmas.