Thoughts on Christmas presents

Just something I'd like your opinion on

Yesterday at dinner, my parents said our family "lottery" system for who you have to buy a Christmas present for would stop, instead,
everybody will be buying his/her own present.

I was like; you got to be kidding? What's the point in unwrapping presents when you have bought them yourself!?
Ok, my parents said, but at least everybody gets what he likes, and it sure makes things a lot easier.

And now I just don't know what to think ...

That has to be some kind of joke, surely?
What a silly thing to do...
If I want a book (socks / cd / bike accessory / anything else) I may buy it - I don't need Christmas for that. I could even write myself a poem to go with it - I don't need Saint Nicholas for that
But surely that's not the point! The point and all the fun is surely in giving a present to someone else as well as being surprised when you get something you would never have bought for yourself (agreed, you may not need or even want it...)
Couldn't you just buy something for them instead of for yourself? Or if you have lots of brothers and sisters, persuade them to join you and have a lottery-based system anyway?

Uru e Lein! Hello!

I prefer the surprise... even if the present isn't the one you like. Presents must be given by somebody else, if you give yourself something it shouldn't be called like this.

Lein's idea is great.

This year I'm exchanging presents with 4 different groups, I love to do that.
And even better, it's a secret friend game, so I don't know who will give me my present. Yesterday me and my students made one of these secret friends party.

Try to make them give eachother a gift. If not, you can give little gifts for them, and they'll know how good is to get one from someone else.

Then, on next Christmas they will consider this option.

Bye byeee...

Me and my friends, we also have a very special "system" (which is probably even the same as Thatha's). Everyone just has to buy just one present for the person that was assigned by lot, so you can buy one "big" present, instead of many little (and usually a bit needless) things.

With my brother and sister, we have the system, that we only buy something when we know something that fits. But I also do not care if I don't get anything from them and neither do they.

My parents usually ask me what I'd wish to have or I get clothes from one of the big shopping-tours before Christmas.

Yep, this game is known as "secret friend" or "hidden friend" in Brazil. Very handy and fun when there are many people and the money for the gift is short.

There is a variant (I've done it to my family last year):

Everyone buys a "neutral" gift, something that both man and woman could use/wear/like, and put it in the gift pile. In the moment of distribution, an order number is assigned by lot. The #1 chooses a gift from the gift pile and opens it. Then the #2 has the option of choosing another from the pile or "stealing" #1's gift (who, of course, can choose another from the pile). #3 can choose from the pile or "steal" #1's or #2's gift. And so on. It has been stated that a gift could only be "stolen" twice.

To make things funnier, I've prepared a "non-linear" sequence of numbers. The first one wasn't #1, but #0, there was also a #3.5 and a #5 3/4. In other words, if #6 was eager for stealing #5's gift, s/he didn't even know s/he wasn't the next!

Hehe that sounds very creative and certainly fun! However, I'm wondering what for example you consider as a "neutral" gift. Maybe a book, but even there are usually preferances for certain genres.

I have done a variant of this as a game with dice. Similar to this (in Dutch). The idea is to have different 'actions' associated with the numbers on the die - eg 1: throw again; 2: give the die to the person on your right; 5: put a present back on the pile, if you have one; 6: pick a present from the pile. When the pile is gone, the next round starts with some more 'actions': 4: swap a present with someone (you choose who); 5: steal a present from someone.
For the last round, everyone moves one place to the left (so you get someone else's presents), only NOW are you allowed to open the presents and the last round is played. Every round lasts 20 minutes. Good fun (although not for very small kids )

Creativity is the operative word when choosing the gift for this game. Chocolate, calendars, pen/pencil kits, pendrives, photo holders, are almost always good choices.

I almost forgot to tell you guys what has happened

I decided to give the Dobbelspel a go; I asked everyone (well, excluding the parents who thought buying only something for themselves was a great idea, oh I'm so mean) to buy two tiny gifts.

At first nobody really seemed to care, but throwing a 6 and taking a present from the stack or stealing or swapping one sure was exciting! Soon enough almost everyone was standing around the table asking what we we're doing and laughing and cheering!

My youngest cousin, who is 6 (I asked my aunt to arrange the two gifts) was so thrilled! You should have seen his face!

I was lucky to get 3 presents: a bicycle lock, a pair of socks (not my size but heck) and a cow-shaped mousepad.

"Hmm, Dennis, would you mind making us such a game for next year as well?" Heh, I couldn't believe my ears. Thanks for all the idea guys, I can safely say it's been a great success!

Ha, I can imagine Dennis!
It must have been awesome.

I got a shirt, a portrait, a bix box of chocolates... mmm... and seven books!

Merry Christmas, Dennis!