JINGLE JINGLE
Join us for a Hillman Christmas Party!
What is a Yankee Swap?
A Yankee Swap is an experiment in chaos.
For what it’s worth, here are some rules for the Yankee Swap as played by the Hillmans at the annual Christmas party. Most people will either ignore or break these rules so this information serves as guidance at best.
Bottom line: if you want to play, ya gotta bring a (wrapped) gift.
How much should I spend on a gift?
We’ve never officially settled on a spending limit for the gifts but most people seem to fall within a $20 – $25 range.
How many people participate? Is this gonna take a long time?
Expect a confusing count of gifts and number slips made to reflect this number and then someone realizing they haven’t put their gift in the gift area (under the tree, people)… so maybe plan to use the bathroom before hand, and grab a snack.
When do I pick my gift?
Gift selection is not done in any particular order but rather by the order numbers are pulled randomly by the previous participant.
Who goes first?
As for who goes first again, that number/person is chosen by the pick out of a hat of all the numbers participating – by (preferably) a non-participant.
I opened my gift and I really don’t want it. Do I have to keep these slippers?
Once a gift is opened, the participant can either choose to keep it or trade it for any previously opened gift. On occasion a participant will request a review of previously opened gifts…no hiding, obscuring, or otherwise securing of gifts is allowed.
All the gifts have been opened, now what?
Once all gifts have been opened, the first player then has their pick of all the gifts (or they may choose to keep whatever gift they are currently holding).
Post-swap trading is allowed between agreeable parties.
What if I don’t like what I end up with and no one will trade?
As in baseball, there is no crying at the Yankee Swap.