Okay, our *family*.
Our family on my mother's side has gotten rather large, and it wouldn't be fair to either expect everyone to buy gifts for everyone else, or let folks only buy for who they felt like while some people get left out. So here's what we do:
The younger kids - about age 10 and below - draw names at Thanksgiving to get the name of one cousin that they should get a Christmas gift for. For the adults, we do "Dirty Santa". (Also known in some places as a "Chinese Gift Exchange".) Each adult or older child brings one fairly gender-neutral gift and puts them in a big pile, and then the game begins! (If anyone doesn't know how to play, just ask.)
This two recent traditions have made the holiday gift giving thing a whole lot easier for our big, boisterous group. It Works For Us!
This tip brought to you for the Christmas edition of "Works For Me Wednesday" over at Shannon's Rocks In My Dryer blog. Go check out the rest of the entries!
7 Comments:-
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Hey, I think we play that game too... except we always called it Scottish Gift Exchange. Is it really Chinese? And is it really also called "Dirty Santa"??? Hilarious!
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Anonymous, at 1:51 AM
Oh Dear, I just realized I posted a very similar tip amongst my tip list! Oh well, it will come twice recommended so! :)
I love this, it saves so much money and time!
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Anonymous, at 2:17 AM
I love that game! We've played it with all sorts of large groups... Sunday School classes, extended family, at my husband's office party. Lots of fun!!
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Lady Why, at 7:46 AM
Yep, "Chinese", in fact I'd never heard it called anything but that until a few years ago. We also do DS with the church folks, and they used to call it that until one of our members married a lady from China. Then nobody wanted to call it that, so they changed it to "Dirty Santa".
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Homeschool Help Web, at 8:07 AM
My family has done this as far back as I can remember. With 13 aunts & uncles and countless cousins it was needed and always a blast! Great tip.
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Rae, at 7:10 PM
I grew up on the West Coast calling it a "White Elephant" exchange, but here in New England it's a "Yankee Swap." Lots of fun no matter what it's called. :)
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Anonymous, at 6:08 PM
My husband's been to a White Elephant, but in the game they did, it really was "white elephant" items - instead of buying/making gifts, you were supposed to bring something you no longer wanted, as long as it was in good condition.
He ended up with a statue of a bowl of fruit. :GRIN:
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Homeschool Help Web, at 9:02 AM
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