This year, I went a little crazy and added one more day of celebration to the holiday season with a Christmas Eve Box!
What is a Christmas Eve Box?
A Christmas Eve Box is something new to me this year, though gift opening on Christmas Eve is something I’ve done with my family since I was a child. Every year on Christmas Eve, our mom would let us choose one small gift to open before bedtime so that we’d finally agree to go to sleep for the night in order for Santa to visit and leave behind the gifts from our Christmas List. My mom’s love language has always been giving and receiving gifts so it’s no wonder that she communicates so well during the holidays and other special events that often include a gift element.
As kids, we didn’t grow up with much more than we needed but we didn’t know any better. Though my mom might not want to talk about it, I know that we were the recipients of Angel Tree gifts for at least one or two tough years where she might not have been able to show us her gift giving love language without that unforgettable resource. Year after year she did an amazing job getting presents under the tree for everyone so that we all felt the love of the holiday season.
2020 has been a tough year from the beginning and I figured that we needed a little more cheer during Christmas and Christmas Eve to end the year on a high note. Enter: the Christmas Eve Box. I found this custom box online and was able to customize the text on the lid. The lid pops off and the box itself is sturdy and reliable for years of use to come. A DIY Christmas Eve Box can also be made at home with a regular cardboard box (thank you, Amazon!), Christmas stickers or stencils, markers, and paint. It doesn’t have to be a fancy box.
Inside the Christmas Eve Box, I’ve included some matching pajamas (red & white striped) for the whole family to wear in celebration of the night before Christmas. I’ve also added a bag of microwave popcorn for us to munch on when we’re cuddled up on the couch in our matching PJs watching a Christmas movie before bed. My mom used to pick up a chocolate orange for us to crack open and eat every Christmas, so when I found one at Trader Joe’s recently, nostalgia kicked in and I just had to add it to the Christmas Eve Box as well. In addition to the pajamas and treats, I’ve also included a small card game for the family to enjoy on Christmas Eve – Exploding Kittens. I’m sure JT is going to love it.
One more treat that would be lovely to include in the Christmas Eve box would be eggnog in honor of the Christmas Eve food of the day – National Eggnog Day. Just make sure to keep it hidden in the refrigerator and pull it out when it’s time to celebrate with the family.
Check out my other Ideas for Making a Christmas Eve Box on the Zulily blog.