Cohousing-L Mailing List: rituals/events:gift exchanges

[Lynn Nadeau (welcome]

For some years we had a December gift exchange party at RoseWind that was 
lots of fun. We set a money limit (like $10) and allowed gifts both funny 
and "normal". Everyone brought as many wrapped gifts as adult members in 
attendance, (or if a couple chose to bring one gift, they also only got 
one gift).

Gifts placed in the center of the room and counted carefully, checked 
against the number of people "playing". Little slips of paper numbered 
sequentially: if there are 20 gifts, then slips numbered 1 through 20. In 
a hat, each person draws one. 

Person 1 can pick any gift and open it. Person 2 can either pick a 
wrapped gift to open OR "steal" the gift of the previous person. Each 
subsequent person can either open a new one, or steal from ANY previously 
opened gift. When your item is stolen, then you can unwrap or steal. We 
usually make a rule that when an item is stolen for the 3rd time, it is 
"retired" and can no longer be taken. 

So whether the item is an outrageous white elephant or a luxury box of 
chocolates, the trading can be lots of fun. 

Children can't cope with having their gift snitched, so we arrange for 
each child to have a specific gift with their name on it. They can choose 
when to open it, and understand that their gift will NOT be stolen. 
__________________
This year we are thinking of doing something new, and I wonder if other 
groups have any experience with the concept of Gifts of Service. One way 
I imagine it could work would be that anyone could post chits offering an 
hour of this or that -- childcare, dump hauling, cooking, gardening, 
computer help, and so on. You could post as many one-hour offers as you 
liked, or as few, or none at all. At a designated future date, you get to 
PICK OUT as many service-hour coupons as you offered. I guess you could 
keep adding to the pool of offers, and collecting services yourself. It 
would be nice if our December activity could be the kick-off of something 
long term that would carry on. Any place else have experience or 
brainstorms on Gifts of Service? 

Lynn Nadeau, RoseWind Cohousing
Port Townsend Washington (Victorian seaport, music, art, nature)
http://www.rosewind.org
http://www.ptguide.com

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