"I can’t understand why they exist."

That’s the response I received within two minutes of positing a question asking how parents feel about Christmas Eve boxes, which until now, I hadn’t realised were so controversial.

"Where did they originate from is what I’d like to know and the prices can be horrendous," a second mum told me, while another made the fair point that while she respects everyone’s opinion, she thinks it eats into the appeal of Christmas.

Heating up the debate, parents started telling me it’s just another commercial spin off, but what caught my attention was the number of parents labelling themselves "tight" or like "Scrooge" for not participating.

The psychology of it all seems to be playing a huge part on the occasion – which could be putting huge strain on people’s finances. Almost 8 million people fell behind on January payments this year, blamed, largely on Christmas debt.

"We don’t do Elf on the Shelf, no Christmas Eve box, money spinning ideas that have been marketed as ‘traditions’," Elizabeth said.

"Father Christmas only ever leaves one main gift for our daughter. He also leaves a stocking full of little things like colouring books, new crayons, an orange, stickers, a little puzzle, a magazine, socks etc. The stocking is exactly that too, and not some enormous pillowcase-sized bag."

Others, however, are on the fence about the idea.

One mum told me Christmas is about making memories so instead of blowing the budget on early gifts, she’ll be spending it on movies and a lovely meal with her children.

But Ashley, who has a young son, said it’s all about seeing her kids’ faces light up.

"Yay, the thought of little ones being excited about Christmas morning is brilliant," she said.

"It’s not about the price – we don’t spend more than £15 on the box but it also makes us excited for Christmas too. Seeing our kid get excited for the big day makes all the planning, preparation and working hard throughout the year so worthwhile, after all Christmas is for the children."

Kellie agrees: "I love it! It’s just an extra build up to Christmas and something we do as a family – even the hubby joins in.

"I literally just get matching Christmas pyjamas, a Christmas DVD, hot chocolate sweets, reindeer food and then her Santa plate ready to leave out.

"We put on our PJs, sprinkle the reindeer food outside and watch a film with hot chocolate and sweets. Nothing too over the top, but a family tradition for us which I intend to carry on."

And when it comes to the cost factor, they say it shouldn’t be costing you the earth.

"I bought a Christmas bauble box from the Range for £6 and then the letters with my son’s name on from eBay for £3. I then just stuck them on top and just put chocolate pyjamas and a Santa key inside," one mum told me.

Mum of two Kerry, meanwhile, said: "I like the idea but we don’t spend a lot of money. My aunt made our wooden Christmas Eve box so that it will last for years.

"Christmas is a very expensive time of year so I don’t go overboard. I buy small stocking presents from Santa and main presents on Christmas Day are from us because I don’t think it seems fair if Father Christmas buys one child an Xbox and their friend gets a colouring in book."

The debate was first sparked by a mum on an online forum who slammed the boxes as merely a commercial gimmick.

Commenting on Mumsnet, she said: "Since when did they become a thing? I’d never heard of them before this year but they seem to be mentioned as if it’s a normal part of the Christmas traditions."

The woman went on to ask if others had been practising the new tradition and for how long.

"Just another added expense and thing to worry about to keep up with your FB imo,” one user wrote.

"They’re not a tradition in this house and never will them,” another agreed.

The same mum said it’s not more than "mindless consumerism" which parent’s shouldn’t fall victim to.

Christmas Eve boxes – is the tradition real?

A carrot for Rudolph and a mince pie for Father Christmas are age-old traditions of Christmas Eve but where do these so-called boxes of joy originate from, and is it really just a commercial spin off on the back of Christmas?

Christmas Eve boxes are typically given to children as a way to break up the anticipation of the next day’s antics.

They can be as simple as a cardboard box or as elaborate as an engraved wooden chest, filled with treats galore.

But many parents are oblivious to the idea – while others understandably feel that a box adds to the stress and cost of Christmas.

But whether they count as "tradition" remains a mystery.

"There’s no pretence this is an ancient tradition," explained consumer expert Professor Vince Mitchell.

"It’s not a day we prepare well for. Boxes solve that problem at a click of a button."

Looking at what parents search for, it seems there was almost no interest in Christmas Eve boxes before November 2013.

But since then interest in them has soared – with ten times as many people searching last year as five years ago, and even more looking this year.

Mitchell suggests parents are also influenced by gift-giving elsewhere in Europe, where children from many countries receive their presents on 24 December.

But in the UK, Christmas Eve boxes are fast becoming a "clever retail invention".

"They heighten the anticipation of the following day, which is key to children’s Christmas experience," he said.

How to make your Christmas Eve box for next to nothing

Christmas Eve boxes are clearly a divider of parents, but if you like the idea of trying the trend out for yourself, here are some suggestions from mums themselves, on how to make your ones cheaper.

Buy a reusable wooden box and use it year after year. One mum told us she bought hers for £12 at Hobbycraft in 2014 which she decorated and designed herself. We’ve found some even cheaper at £8. Alternatively, Poundland sells £1 Christmas gift boxes, which can be used for their gifts the next day, too.

Pay a trip to your local supermarket for cheap pyjamas – you can get them for as little as £6 at George while Primark and shops like Pep&Co can be just as cheap – if not cheaper. Have a scout on eBay while you’re at it, there are plenty of people selling new, unused items on the cheap – and it’s perfect for a bargain!

Have a family meal instead with games and movies. One mum told us she spends the day decorating the house with tablecloths, matching paper plates, cups and more (Wilko’s are great for these). She then buys festive treats like Christmas tree crumpets to celebrate. It’s about the moment, not the gifts. As one mum explained: "We do things as a family in the build up to Christmas Day, such as family games, making mince pies, sitting with a hot chocolate and watching The Snowman." If you have Netflix, even better!

Make your own box using a shoebox or old gift box you’ve received and keep using it year after year.

Forget clothes and toys (save those for Christmas itself) and go for cheap things to keep them busy while you prepare dinner, such as colouring books, stickers, stationary, chocolate Santa coins and more.

Keep it simple. Go for a festive £1 mug from Poundland, choose a quirky hot chocolate flavour (30p) and invest in a pair of Poundland cosy socks – it’s enough to spur on the excitement! "I will buy a handmade wooden Christmas Eve box but will go into Poundland for chocolates, pyjamas etc," one mum told us.

Buy books from The Works – you can get 10 for £10 and it covers some extra Christmas presents, too. You can also pick cheap kids’ books up for less than £1 in 99p shops. One mum told us she’s found them for 50p in Home Bargains.

Buy your items in the sale: "Buy any bits that won’t date in the sale to keep for next year, such as socks, hair clips, stickers etc," explained one mum. Another said she reuses Christmas DVDs from their presents last year.

"I pre-buy my son’s pyjamas in the after Christmas sales, and buy a year up so he fits into them by next year. It saves me half the price. I also use coupon apps for my shopping so the money goes into my PayPal and I can use that towards my Christmas shopping."

Swap the box for a ‘make your own’ gingerbread house for around £3 at Home Bargains. You can then top up the fun with 10p to £1 sweets.

Go to the charity shop. "I fill my boxes with sweets and bubble bath – you can get lots of nice things from poundshops, and I get all my Xmas films from charity shops," one mum told us.

Use cashback websites – "I use sites like TopCashback for online purchases and keep them until I need them," one mum said. "Don’t forget to also use sites that list the best prices for things like LatestDeals. I’ve just got £78 worth of gifts in the Disney store today for £27 using their 24 hour sale plus cashback savings on top."

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