yankee swap/chinese auction

[Grant Barrett]

A branch of my family has done this for maybe ten years or so; they
call it "rob your neighbor." However, the presents are NOT opened until
everyone has one and all forced trades have been made. This is what
keeps it interesting: gifts are disguised, some people know what's in
them, some people don't, some judge by weight, others by size, etc.,
etc.

In St. Croix, in the Virgins Islands, among the long-term but not local
white off-islanders they called this "pirate Christmas" (also dating
about ten years ago).

(I think we have discussed this on the list before.)

Grant Barrett


On Dec 13, 2004, at 09:56, Dale Coye wrote:

> Yesterday up here in New Hampshire I heard someone talking about
> having a
> Christmas party with a Yankee Swap.  When it was described I realized
> it was what
> was called a Chinese Auction in New Jersey (this came to the list
> several
> years ago).  It's where you have a fairly large group and everyone
> brings a
> present. Then numbers are drawn.  Number one goes to the pile of
> presents, picks
> one and opens it, then number two can either pick a new one to open or
> demand
> number one's, and so on.  If one present is particularly desirable it
> can
> exchange hands several times.
>
> Dale Coye
> Wilton, New Hampshire
>