![]() Partner with Toys for Tots or other established non-profit programs to collect funds or purchase toys online.Collect donations using PayPal or Venmo to send funds to local non-profit groups.Consider these options along with the gift swap. In addition to trying out the Favorite Holiday Things Gift Swap, consider donating funds or toys to those families with fewer resources. We openly acknowledge that having a discussion about how to have a Gift Swap during 2020 shows our privilege. Once you have that, you can brainstorm ways to create a new version of that holiday tradition that works in 2020. Try and get to the heart of the tradition. Remember, events shouldn’t be a “virtual version” of what you normally do-focus not on “what’s normal” and more on connecting with the people you care about in the warmest way you can. We can’t create a holiday party atmosphere over Zoom, so rather than trying, use the synchronous time for something meaningful, then end the call. Rather than forcing everyone to open presents on camera, use the synchronous time to share a toast, then end the call and let people get back to their day. If you choose to do a virtual toast, you can create a sense of community with the “same thing at the same time” concept. When you realize that the meaning of the event is actually getting to think of others, then you can explore ways to do that meaningfully in a virtual space. So rather than creating a Zoom fashion show for gifts, think differently. It’s thinking of others-taking time to consider someone else, consider what they might need, try to make their holidays a bit more joyful with a thoughtful gift. Why it worksĪt the heart of a Secret Santa gift exchange is - what? Just gifts? Not at all. Feel free to bring your gift items to the call. The goal is to do this early in the season so that recipients have time to enjoy their treats during the holidays.īonus: Have a toast at a certain time on a Friday-a short (!) call for everyone to toast to the holidays. They’ll be a signup deadline, and then a deadline for when to mail your package to your recipient. The host will send out an email invitation to anyone who might like to participate. Not only do you get to put together a box of your favorite holiday things, but you also get to receive a box, so you’ll get to experience someone else’s holiday joys. You can consider what you’d spend (or spend time on making) for a close friend’s holiday present. For spending guidelines, set a limit as a group.You can put the box together yourself and then mail it, or order the things online and have those things mailed to the person. Curate a box of those things, bought or made, and send them to your assigned recipient.What brings you joy over the holidays? Think: knit socks, baked goods, a holiday movie, a festive spirit, scented candles, warm scarves, cozy blankets.How it works: Each participant will be assigned a “recipient.” Mail that person a curated box of some of your favorite holiday things. (And bonus: we can take some of the lessons we learn about adapting the holidays, and we can apply those to other events/online meetings!) Example virtual event: FAVORITE HOLIDAY THINGS GIFT SWAP We’re using this article series to consider - how can we use the opportunities and tools we have to create meaningful virtual holiday experiences-for our colleagues, our clients, our family, and our friends. Instead of trying to do “the same, but online,” we have to take the time to consider the event, what we value about it, what our audience gets out of it, and how it can work virtually. We’ve learned that lesson already, at work and at school. We’re writing this series because we believe- trying to have our holiday traditions “the same way, but virtually” isn’t going to cut it. but online? Trying to recreate “the same, but online” Secret Santa could mean a Zoom call where people take turns opening gifts in the deafening others-are-muted silence, while the rest of us watch, try not to look bored, and try to hide the fact that we’re online shopping on our phones. ![]() In person, it means a party atmosphere-food and drink, time set aside to exchange gifts, laughter as we watch others open presents. In our last article, we wrote about how to adapt the traditional Holiday Cookie Exchange into something virtual - a Holiday Recipe Swap. In this article, we consider the humble Secret Santa (or White Elephant) Gift Exchange. Goal: To create meaningful events, not just virtual replacements. Co-written by Sarah Glova and Sarah Egan Warren.
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