Our research finds that over half of parents will give Christmas Eve gifts

13th December 2023 10:48

Lifting the lid on Christmas Eve boxes
 
By Research Director, Helen Menzies
 
Family of 4 in Christmas hatsI don’t remember Christmas Eve boxes being a ‘thing’ when I was little (maybe just not in my house?!) but increasingly over the years I’ve heard more and more families talk about them. A quick Google presents me with plenty of options for every budget, with retailers from Card Factory to Fortnum & Mason offering Christmas Eve boxes and fillers.
 
I wanted to find out what parents are planning to do this year and what sort of things are going into these boxes, so we turned to our in-house panel to find out! Opinion Exchange is our panel of over 20,000 people in the UK who have signed up to take part in market research. We sent out an online poll to some parents on the panel and we quickly received just over 600 responses.
 
Our research shows that 59% of parents will be giving a Christmas Eve box/some kind of gift on Christmas Eve:
 

Will you be giving your child(ren) a ‘Christmas Eve box’ and/or a present on Christmas Eve?

Statistics from the research
Base: 604 parents.
 
Amongst the 59% who plan to give some kind of Christmas Eve gift, we found that in general it is less about the gift per se (or indeed the box) and more about creating a special experience or atmosphere.  Whilst some parents are giving an item from under the tree before the big day, the most common gifts are:
 
Child receiving a Christmas present
Cosy Christmas clothing (pyjamas, fluffy socks)
Treats such as chocolate, sweets or hot chocolate
A book
A DVD/choosing a new movie online
Pampering items (bath bombs, face masks)
Craft activities
 

“I like the idea but its only a little gift of pyjamas and hot chocolate. Not a big gift.”
Parent

“Chocolate coins, hot chocolate and mug, new pjs, glow sticks, slippers/fluffy socks, reindeer food, bath bomb (just things for a cosy night to aid a good night’s sleep).”
Parent

 
Many parents are keen to create a cosy and calm atmosphere on Christmas Eve and spend quality time together as a family – perhaps crafting, reading or watching a movie. It helps to extend the festivities rather than focusing just on one day. Reindeer food may be left out along with treats for Santa, memories are made and perhaps new traditions begun. Activities such as stickers, colouring books and crafts are also being used to keep the kids occupied as parents do the final preparations for the 25th.
 

Around a third of parents will wait until Christmas Day

Three family members at Christmas

On the flip side, some parents can resent the extra pressure to buy more gifts and some describe Christmas as overly commercial. 35% of our sample say they will be waiting until the big day to give their children gifts.
 
“I think Christmas is far too commercial now. Especially during the current financially difficult time.”
Parent
 
The cost of living crisis is making it hard to justify more purchases, and this was highlighted in recent research conducted by TopCashBack. Their research showed that 54% of UK adults are worried about being able to afford Christmas this year, leading many to scale back on the festivities. Over half of parents in that study say they already feel guilty about letting their kids down. 
 
There is so much pressure to spend money at Christmas but the parents on our panel describe various ways families can spend time together, without necessarily spending a lot of money. Brands that tap into the cosy Christmas Eve feeling and help families create low-cost memories and traditions are likely to resonate well with parents.
 
If you’d like to find out more about our research with families, please contact Helen Menzies.
 

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