While you can simply hand a present to special people in your life, you can make gift-giving more creative and exciting through these five traditions:
1. Dirty Santa
‘Dirty Santa’ is a gift-exchange game in which the first player picks a gift, unwraps it and shows it to everyone. The gift remains with the first player only if the subsequent players aren't interested in ‘stealing’ it. If one of them steals, then the player has to select from the unopened gifts from the pile or ‘steal’ a gift from another player. The game ends if there are no more gift left at the table.
If nobody seems to eye your gift, it’s either you gave everyone a threatening look that scares the ‘thieves’ away or sorry to say, you got the gag gift (which may not be a decent one but hey, a gift is still a gift).
2. Secret Santa
‘Secret Santa’, also known as Kris Kringle, is a long-time gift-giving tradition in which each one from the group draws a name of one co-member for whom they will buy a Christmas present for. The gifts are presented on an agreed date where the identity of one’s ‘Secret Santa’ is revealed.
The Philippines’ version of ‘Secret Santa’ is ‘Monito/Monita’. The mechanics is similar, only that the gift-giver divulges the name of his ‘Monito’ or ‘Monita’ (and describes them) to the group rather than the other way around.
Well, better be awesome to all the groups you are a part of! You don’t want to be described as lazy, obnoxious or even worse, neurotic on the revelation day.
3. Pass the parcel
This is a popular party game for kids that originated in Britain.
The main present is inside the layers of gift wrappers. In between those layers are smaller gifts. The group passes the parcel around to each other as the background music plays along. Once the music stops, whoever holds it will unwrap the topmost layer. Music then restarts, and children pass the parcel around until they reach the last layer.
4. Ang pao or money envelope
‘Ang pao’ or a money envelope. Godparents place money inside the envelope as an ‘aguinaldo’ (or gift) to their godchildren for Christmas.
Some may end up not wanting to spend the money at all because of the supposed good luck the money brings, or because it is the bills are too crisp to let go of.
Red envelopes Source: Getty images
5. Gift grabbing
Numbers are placed on gifts that have an agreed-upon price. The numbers are then written on pieces of paper and placed in a box. Each person then draws a number, which then determines which gift they will receive.
HOPE you get the best Christmas gift EVER this year as this is the last thing we want to happen to you:
Gifts for Christmas Source: Pexels
