by MARY LEE CALDWELL
Let The X ( mas ) Games Begin
Whether you are gathering to celebrate the Christmas season with co-workers , friends , or family , it never hurts to have some reindeer games planned to keep things merry and bright ! My mom has a special gift of making things her own and keeping things interesting , and she has passed that on to my sisters and me . So , when you combine that with our love of games and competition , our holiday gatherings are always exciting !
Here are some of our greatest hits involving gift exchange games . Please feel free to put your own twist on these ideas for your next get together , and don ’ t forget to share your pictures with our new group on facebook . You can find it here www . facebook . com / groups / southernholidaylife .
Dirty Santa / White Elephant / Yankee Swap with a Twist
No matter what you call it , we have all played a version of this mischievous gift exchange . We know the rules . Each person brings a gift , draws a number , and the unwrapping , strategy , and thievery begins . Well , my mom loves to keep this classic fresh by including a few twists . Usually these come in the form of hidden cards she will include in some of the presents . These cards will include special instructions for the group . Examples include passing your gift three people to the left ; the oldest and person with an unwrapped gift can trade their gift with anyone ; trade your gift ( or selection number ) with someone who shares your birth month .
Gift Scattergories
Speaking of themes , every year we try to put special thought into our gift selections . Last year , we leveled up with this , as each family member selected a specific category that all of the gifts that we gave had to fall into . For example , my dad ’ s gifts were also things that could be eaten , while my nephew , Luke ’ s , gifts were all things to be read . In keeping with our family ’ s style , my other nephew , Jax ’ s , gifts were all things that could be played , so he gave each person a game that could be played all year !
* You can also combine this game with Dirty Santa , and ask everyone to keep their gifts to a specific theme . We have done this several times , and my personal favorite was when our extended family did this with the theme : As Seen On TV . Everyone had to bring a gift that was featured in an infomercial . It was so much FUN !!!
Can ’ t Contain Our Christmas Spirit
This one is a new one that my mom and I came up with this year to try as a family . The idea behind this one is similar to Gift Scattergories in that we are adding another level of intention to our gift giving . Each family member will select a set of gift containers , boxes , bags , envelopes , etc ., in a specific size . Each set will include enough containers , so that they have one for each family member , and their gifts will need to fit into the selected container . On Christmas Eve , each of us will have a giant gift box that we will place the gifts into . This is going to add to the excitement while also giving us great memories and photos !
72 SOUTHERN HOLIDAY LIFE 2020