seivmom

Our family has a hat that is passed around, it started because my brother in law received a hat that we all considered an "old man hat" one year from a cousin that was in the family gift exchange and we all made jokes about it. The next year I drew my brother in laws name so I bought another hat just like it and gave it to him, the following year he drew my name and I received it back again, it was the bginning of a 20 plus year tradition, everyone waits to see who gets the hat this year. The hat now doesn't even resemble the original hat, each year who ever gets the hat, adds something to it before passing it on. That hat has soooo many memories that goes with it.
Last year several members of our family had been out of work and couldn't afford to do the gift exchange, we decided that each person would take a picture of themselves, and photoshop it however they choose, frame it (cheaper frame the better) and give it to the person whos name they drew. The receiving person must display the picture for a year. The pictures were great!! But I must admit, I am ready for the pictures that my husband and I received to come down fom the mantle on Christmas day this year!!!!

purplefiend

One year DS asked for a Harley motorcycle for Christmas. I gave him a Hot Wheels bike. :lol: He rolled his eyes at me. I have given everyone Wheel-Os and Slinkies in their stockings. We all had a great time with our toys. :-D

Cyn

My family is Blessed so we all get together at a beach house (actaully it takes 3 large houses) between Christmas and New Year's. We all bring food and laugh, tell stories and just enjoy each other. On one night, we have a dirty santa gift exchange (10 dollar limit) and award the King and Queen for the next year and there's a dumb ass award that goes to well you can guess. The previous owners get to pick and we never let the truth get in the way of a good story. It's all done simple and the memories are the best gift ever!

jitkaau

A Scottish couple, that I visit at Christmas, always give really cheap, funny or outlandish things. They are wrapped in newspaper. One never knows what to expect but I think they have fun shopping for them. I got a giant pencil one year, and an enormous candle this last year. I always give people the photographs of the Christmas or New Year's Dinners that I attend. They are a good record, and people often make and frame large prints from the CD.

MrsMoe4487

Great stories!! Makes me want to start something new with my husband and his family!

LanaCindy

Our family made lots of homemade kraft items, quilts, booties and then they add in bought items,food, gag gifts. It was all layed out on a table...some wrapped some not. All the adults would roll dice. A 7 or 11 you could pick a gift off the table or you could steal a gift from someone. They in turn could steal it back if they got a 7 or 11. A random time would be set on a time. When the time went off whatever gifts you had were yours to keep.
The kids got to break a pinata and take turns picking off a table of little toys (jax, matchbox cars, candy and such)
I miss it all..

raptureready

You should have everyone do the same thing and put the new photo on top of the old photo but leave it in the frame. In a few years everyone will be taking their gifts apart to see who all is in there.

amorerm

Absolutely love this!!! The true meaning of the season...Love and Family !!!!!!!!!

Carrie

I've taken a small gift and wrapped it in several nested boxes with a different name on each box so that it gets passed around several times. This year it will end with our youngest grandson and it will be his favorite nuts; Macadamia. When our first granddaughter was born, now 18, I started buying Christmas Eve jammies each year for the grandchildren as they came along. Last year I asked if they were tired of Grammy buying the jammies and got a chorus of nos, so the tradition continues. Happy Holidays!

fktsewing

my mom passed away in October and so I was not in the mood for Christmas at all, but my boys were coming home from England and I felt guilty---I forced myself to go out shopping and found myself being drawn to toys and games I had as a child. That is when it hit me---I bought each person a toy, games, record albumn,or movie or show or something that was special to them from their childhood. On Christmas eve, they each opened that special present one at a time and went absolutely wild. We talked and reminised all evening long about everyones childhood. 4 years have passed and none of them can remember what else they got that year or in the years since, but they still remember and talk about that "special" gift from childhood.