How have these new fads come about ?

Reading this, even the 'bah humbugs' (nothing wrong with that ) had their own Christmas traditions and I suppose this is just another. A bit of a shame that your DGC heard about the Christmas Eve box from other children though grannytotwins but I'm sure they have their own traditions that they love too. In our family we had traditions for Boxing Day as we always went to stay with relatives for Christmas Day. It was an extension to Christmas and we loved it.

After an unusually fraught weekend with twin grandchildren bickering and winding each other up, I can’t wait for the Elf on the Shelf to arrive. He is quite well-behaved himself, never appears on social media, but seems to be able to appear magically at both my DD’s house and ours. He is very useful as the pre-Christmas excitement mounts.

Feel like a terrible mother, we didn't do Christmas Eve boxes. My children have missed out! They're 46 and 50 now and show no signs of neglect. As long as nobody tells them we should be fine.!

Our mum used to let us open one present on Christmas Eve. She chose it and it was usually pjs and a Christmas book. I assume now that was her version of a Christmas Eve box before they were even invented! This was over 40 years ago, lol.

Mabel, that sounds nice. Maybe I'll get into the Yule thing.

"Who buys new pyjamas for Christmas?"
Well, as I said earlier, my gran did 60+ years ago. She was a widow with little spare cash so the new pyjamas were what she could afford to buy as the only present from her.
Wearing them on Christmas Eve was her idea and we were happy that this became our special tradition and are just as happy to keep it going.
No rampant commercialism, no excess, no irresponsible landfill, no scorned US imported fad!
How about reining in the unpleasant sweeping statements?

Christmas Eve was always a big deal when I was growing up. Adults opened their presents and the kids got one to open. Lots of entertaining. My kids always had one present, usually new PJ's and the usual rituals of drink/snack for Father Christmas (never Santa) and 'The night before Christmas'. We used to leave sherry for FC when I was a child and Bailys or Whisky when my own DC were younger. I vividly remember my daughter, aged about 9, when I suggested we put the Baily's out for FC - giving me a pointed look and saying 'I think FC has had quite enough to drink!' (We had had family round! Lol). Elf on the Shelf is a brilliant took for getting the little 'darlings' to behave!

And then there are the jumpers, the dresses, the curtains, the hall runners, the doormats, the snow projector, the outside ornaments, the outside lights.............

The elf on the shelf had a very short shelf life indeed. Like so much these days it has become redundant (remember Betamax?)
These days Alexa reports back to Santa and she is way more scary than a little elf!

When our two daughters were small we made a snowman out of an old coffee tin covered in cotton wool. He came out on Christmas Eve every year and had a small gift for each of them inside. Then it was hang up the stockings, mince pies for Santa,a carrot for Rudolph then bed. My eldest daughter did the same thing for her children,she made a new snowman as the original had got very tatty over the years.
Happy memories and no great expense involved.

Never heard of Christmas Eve boxes but Elf on a Shelf is a bit if fun. My 3 youngest GC bring their's with them when they stay with us & we enjoy finding new & more challenging places to hide them once the children are asleep.
Plus it keeps them occupied while I cook breakfast.
Last year the youngest took over an hour to find his- it's feet were sticking out of letterbox in front door too so quite easy to spot. His brother & sister saw it straight away but kept quiet - he happily searched the whole house before he spotted it.

I have always loved Christmas eve, more so than Christmas day. My eldest is almost 40 and my youngest 28. I always allowed them to open a present from under the tree on the morning of Christmas Eve, this meant I could have the day to prepare food, clean house etc in peace. After attending crib service they would have new pj's, put treats out for Santa and the reindeers then go off to bed early full of anticipation. Lovely times. I think Christmas eve boxes are just an extension of this. No harm in it and it isn't compulsory. In fact i'm doing one for my new husband this year

We were staying with our family last year when they did this Christmas Eve thing - a bag was found outside (from Santa's elves) with new PJs and a DVD to watch. (We had been told to bring our best PJs too) We all snuggled up and enjoyed the DVD (it was Boss Baby) and it was a brilliant Christmas Eve! I hope it becomes one of their traditions.

I like making sweeping statements. and have no intention of reining anything in.
My comment was made in the light of reading many posts, the contents of which confirm that new pjs worn on Christmas Eve were/are routine in many households.

And clearly you have no need to except tales of modest generosity from your sweeping statements.
At least your last post is marginally less sweeping in that it points out that these appalling practices are routine in only "many" households and are not universal!
Don't let the truth get in the way of a good rant, eh?

In answer to the original question, I suspect that the 'tailored' adverts that appear at the top of Gransnet are part of the 'how'. For various reasons I sometimes shop or do internet searches for other people. Than I see adverts for their stuff!

I have decided to buy myself Christmas PJ's this year ?????

For a very few years my children were both choristers singing Midnight Mass and still FC believers. So we had the lovely but exhausting time of early Christmas Eve trying to be calm, then driving 10 miles in the dark well after normal bedtime, processing carrying a candle whilst singing, a full sung Eucharist, smoked salmon goodies in the vestry then driving home again. Often it was 1.30 before they were in bed. Then Father Christmas had to wait until they were asleep before starting work. But it was a magical time.

Mince pie and a carrot by the fireplace when I was little.
My son joins in every fad going so the children don't get "left out" at school.
I'd prefer they went to church on Christmas eve.

From people who are only interested in making money and I've never heard of the objects you note.

I too get fed up with all this added 'stuff' so this year I shall 'do' Christmas eve boxes. Not sure what is usually put in them but mine will contain a list of 'tasks' to be completed before any presents arrive/distributed on Christmas day!

New pj's (xmassy ones)
- Xmas dvd
- Xmas bath bomb
- The night before Christmas book
- Xmas mug with a little sachet of hot chocolate & marshmallows in
- A plastic popcorn box with a bag of popcorn in
- Santas magic key
- Reindeer dust

Here's a list from Mumsnet.

Well that's Christmas sorted then oldbatty so glad my grandchildren are grown up and I don't have to keep up with this stuff. Good old fashioned Christmas for me.

When I was a child we didn't really have Christmas Eve rituals in our family, apart from my Mum hurriedly putting up the tree, breaking the glass baubles, and swearing like a trooper when the lights didn't work! And that was all while trying to prepare the veggies for the following day. It all seemed to be a lot of hard work to me....

I always insisted I was in bed before midnight so that I went to bed on Christmas Eve and woke up on Christmas Day, and I still do it. Our AC even ring or text to remind me: "It's nearly 11 o'clock Mum, go to bed - quick!"

We bought the Elf on the Shelf toy and book for our GC a few years ago. They love them and look forward to them coming out each year and searching for them every morning. I also do 'Letters from Santa' for the youngest GC too.

I have seen Christmas Eve boxes, but wasn't sure what you were supposed to put in them. Yes, some of them are elaborate (and expensive), but they're a nice idea too. But I won't be tempted until the GC are actually staying with us one Christmas, and then I'll probably make my own.

I had never heard of the custom of having new PJs for Christmas. But I may get a Christmas duvet set for our guest room, and I've just finished making some Christmas cushions.