Yankee Swap

It is getting close to that time of year when my family gathers round the Christmas tree in one of my uncles homes and participate in our family tradition of stuffing ourselves silly and picking numbers out of a hat.

Rather than spend hundreds of dollars buying presents for twenty people the adults used to pull a name out of a hat on thanksgiving and buy a gift for that person. The children all got presents from the adults cause we are spoiled little darlings. A few years ago our family tried something new. We started to do a Yankee swap. A Yankee swap is when everyone brings a present and we pick numbers out of a hat. One unwraps the first present of their choice and waits for two to go. If two likes the present 1 has they swap then ends the round and we move onto three. Basically the more people unwrap the more choices to be had. In the end 1 gets their pick of all the presents.


One is the best and two is the worst...

The first year we attempted it was rather... interesting. I have always had a hearing problem. The doctors say I'm fine; I can hear the tests they give me really well, but put me in a loud room and I go deaf. Well this would be my downfall.

It was my turn to go up and pick a present. I picked up a heavy box going for weight over size. I didn't hear my uncle tell me I should pick a different present and went back to my seat. I unwrapped the gift and pulled out beef jerky, which I could not eat because of my retainer. I had already decided I was going to swap with mom who had unwrapped a sundae kit. It was the next thing I pulled out that sent roaring laughter ripping through our family. I pulled out a huge bottle of Colt 45 A.K.A. Hard Liquor.... I was about twelve.

When the laughter died down I turned to my mother seated next to me smiled and said. "Well if you like it so much... Here you go." I said placing the box on her lap and taking the kit a smile on my face.

My only regret? We didn't film it cause I am sure that we would have gotten ten thousand dollars.

This year I plan on contributing a mug to this years Yankee Swap with the picture below as a sort of inside joke among my family... And I sort of want to see my uncles fight over it like they did the Leg Lamp Ornament from A Christmas Story.