How have these new fads come about ?

Dontaskme.....

Here in the US, the stout, bearded guy in red who brings children presents goes by the alias "Santa Claus" or 'Santa' for short. In the UK, he goes by the name "Father Christmas" In other parts of the world you may know him as "Kris Kringle", "Saint Nicholas", "Sinterklaas", "Ded Moroz", or even "Swarte Piet"!

Actually I think 'Swarte Piet' (Black Peter) was the character who came with Saint Nick, to take naughty children away, or do something else dire. Very un PC nowadays!

Aeons ago we lived in Abu Dhabi, my sister was coincidentally also there with little ones. There was a large Dutch contingent living there, and on 6th Dec IIRC, Sinte Klaas (sp?) sailed into the harbour in a proper old Arab dhow to distribute sweets to the children.
Sister and her dcs were invited.

As it happened, sister's little boy, 3 or 4 at the time, had been a little b*gger all day, and since he'd been told about Black Peter, he spent much of the time hiding behind my sister in case of dire consequences for being naughty!

Father Christmas I believe is based largely in England and possibly Wales but when I was a child in the 50s, and still today in Scotland it was/is Santa Claus. (Or in the local dialect Santy Claas!)
Do other Scots call him Santa Claus or Father Christmas?
Possibly it's a local thing rather than Scotland-wide (but not a US import).

The only boxes I know of at Christmas time is shoe boxes for children in poorer countries where you put in toiletries toothbrush, soap, etc and a small toy.

I said "I don't like this term "Santa". What's happening to Father Christmas" not "where did Santa come from" . Thanks anyway. I am a child of the late 50's/early 60's and we always called him Father Christmas. My DM was Welsh and DF an East End Jew. My DC called/call him Father Christmas. Nothing to do with Christmas Eve boxes, I know! We always had new pj's on Christmas Eve and I did the same for my DC and lovely fresh (not new) bedding

Oh and we were born and bred in England!

Our 'Santa' is not dressed in red, but in browns and furs. Dgd calls the red garbed ones in shopping centres etc the real Santa's helpers, because he can't possibly be everywhere at once. 7yr olds can be painfully logical lol. He comes to her house on Xmas eve, but not to my house at Yule, that's down to the fairies to deal with.

Haha my 26-year-old granddaughter put a 'Christmas Eve box' on her list of presents this year. I said 'What the heck's that?' and googled it. My response? 'Nice try hon, if you're REALLY expecting that I'm afraid you're going to be sadly disappointed'.....

mcem it’s Santa for us, but I’ve heard Santy from Irish and Geordie friends.

Traditions and ritual are very important in the lives of children (and adults) and we have introduced many into our family life.

As a child my family life was chaotic and we had no traditions or rituals. I'm smiling ruefully at the comments about new PJ's; when we were children my sister and I went to bed in knickers and vest until one Christmas our nana bought us two flannelette nighties each so that when mum was being beaten and we had to run to the phone box and call the police we could do so in decency. Christmas wasn't much fun when I was child.

When my children were little their Christmas stocking always included toothbrush and paste, bubble bath and a chocolate orange, plus a little wrapped gift and a couple of 'silly' items. On Christmas Eve we would all prepare the veg for the next day and before going to church for the midnight service we made 'The Snowman', which was a large cotton wool covered cardboard tube with a similarly woolly balloon head and on Boxing Day he would reappear with named ribbons attached to little gifts inside. Also on Christmas Eve a tin of little wind-up toys is brought out by the children's grandparents and it's great fun to watch our adult children (who now add to the collection every year) re-connect with their childhood selves as they play with these little toys.

Our children now have families of their own and will replicate some of their own traditions and create others together, which is as it should be.

haha ho ho ho

elf on the shelf. must be some american thing...sorry any usa people... christmas boxes used to be given on boxing day..not christmas eve.. more money in the shops deep pockets..

A danish friend informs me that the elf thing is from Scandinavia. Her children were terrified of them.

granny activist, you are a remarkable woman.

grannyactivist said what I was trying to express 100 times better!

christmas boxes used to be given on boxing day..not christmas eve.. more money in the shops deep pockets..
In my region the "boxes" on boxing day were charity collection boxes & entirely different to our home traditions. We did (then and now) incorporate charity into the festive period but not in that way. These days there are charity events up and down the country on boxing day and its fun to watch or take part if like me you have no interest in the sales

oldbatty, I was thinking the same. GA has come a long way.
We melded our traditions when our own DC were little.
Elf on the shelf is new to me but if you like it then why not.
I do like a real tree. I don't even mind the dropped needles she lied
He had stockings. I didn't. I had gifts on the tree. Our kids got both.
DM always invited a homeless person to dinner which I'm ashamed to say us children objected to but now we often have someone for Christmas who has nowhere else to go.

Oh good!
What time shall I come?

I went to Homebase yesterday, just for winter pansies, but had a look at their Christmas decs. section. Lots of metal Chr. Eve boxes for a fiver, plus there was an 'Elf on the Shelf' 'Adoption Centre' (i.e. a specific stand for them - didn't see how much they were though).
Later in Asda saw cardboard CE boxes for £2.

It's the first year I've noticed such things.

The only Christmas boxes I'm familiar with is the ones given to the dustman postman paperboy milkman etc etc.

I know, I know, it’s all very commercialised but I love it. If it sparkles I want it, if it plays Christmas music I want it. Old traditions, our own family traditions, new traditions, DiL traditions (though I do feel a bit resentful that they overtake my own family traditions) I love it all. My only real bug bearer is how early it starts. I don’t want it until around December 18th then I’m like a five year old. The tree, the candles, the cheesy decorations, the Christmas Dvd, the carols, the nativity, the food, the drink, I even enjoy the cooking. The Christmas Eve boxes and the dreaded American elf on the shelf are welcome here. I can’t wait