"I feel that I got the most awesome gift this year, and
I'm so excited that I want share what I received! This was my first time
participating in the gift swap, so I didn't really know what to expect. When I first
saw the wrapped present under the tree I was really excited! I went up and
tried to move it and feel through the packaging to get some sort of clue as to
what it was (I know, I'm bad like that!). I couldn't tell anything except that it was
heavy, and fairly large. I was stymied but that only contributed to the
anticipation that helps to make Uncle Cecil's Tavern so much fun. I also want
to add that Aeston knew who had gotten my name and what the gift was, and all week leading up to the swap he
wouldn't tell me anything except that he knew I would love the gift - so as you
can imagine, I was beside myself with excitement.
When I finally got to unwrap it, I was absolutely blown
away. As in, totally floored - no exaggeration. It was readily apparent that Lord
Sir Vawn, who had received my name from Dame Twenaria, had put so much time and
effort into the gift that I felt I could not thank him nearly enough.
What I received was a red wooden box, painted red with the
Rhiassan lion etched onto both sides. The box in and of itself is absolutely
beautiful, with a sturdy handle and gold metal corner protectors. But when I opened it, I was speechless. Vawn had taken the time to
solicit the input of both those closest to me, to determine what I would want/
need the most, and those with specialized knowledge in this type of gift. What
he gave me was a feast-o-crat/ kitchen kit, complete with my own set of tools
in Rhiassan red and black; my very own knife set and pot holders, and two
wonderful magical devices, one of which makes fire on demand and one that uses
metal paddles to mix food! But that wasn't all - the box also contained a set
of cutting boards, and various other small kitchen tools. An invaluable gift for someone who considers
herself a student of feasting and event food and hopes to spend a lot of time
in Realms kitchens in the coming years!
All in all, the gift was amazing, more than I could have
ever asked for, and as Vawn stood in front of me smiling after I had opened it,
I found that I couldn't really express all that I wanted to say. It is truly
humbling to know that somebody went to such effort and such length in finding
something that I could use and producing a gift that would make me so happy. I
was blessed this year and I really can't express the depths of my gratitude or
my appreciation for the careful thought and hours of prep time I know he put
into it. Words don't seem like enough but I will say it again, and again --
thank you, thank you, thank you Vawn!! I will think of you each time I open the
box and I will treasure this gift for years to come. " - Areni (Jennifer
DeNardis-Rosa)"My favorite part of the yearly gift swap tradition is watching the reactions. The expressions on people’s faces when they open a gift that was exactly what they asked for, or when they see something that astounds them, or when the gift-giver says the exact right thing.
It is also fun to watch the hunt begin. Your swap partner didn’t leave a note to tell you who they were! How will you ever go about thanking them? Well, as witnessed at least once this Yule, you can hold up your gift in the air while making happy noises, and look for someone’s secret smile. Or you can hound friends and acquaintances of who you think might have gotten you your gift until they crack under the pressure and spill the beans. Or you can be content knowing that somewhere out there, someone put a lot of thought, time, and effort into getting you exactly what you didn’t know you always wanted.
All in all though, my favorite reactions to watch are the reactions to handmade gifts. This Yule, I was not fortunate enough to see the gift I made opened, but I did get to see the aftermath, and it seems like the gift went over well. On the other hand, I got to see the host of the yearly celebration open his gift, and standing right next to him, an old friend. When he unwrapped his present, both their eyes lit up, and almost in unison they silently mouthed “wow!”
Or perhaps it wasn’t silent, the tavern is often too loud to hear from that far away. Nevertheless, if you can get a reaction of astonishment, joy, or amusement out of a gift that you hand-selected or hand-made, you will understand the reason I participate every year that I can."- Hermian (Jacob Bouvier)
"Probably the most impressive part about the gift swap every year is the many people who join it for the joy of giving a present and watching the recipient's reaction to it. That is true for me as well, and I was overjoyed at how much Malaki enjoyed my gift to him, a cape with a fur over the shoulder. He had asked for garb that evoked his position as lord of Folksetone, so I went with what I knew. Fancy fabric and a dead animal.
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| Photo by Jesse Gifford |
I'm a hard guy to buy things for, however, and it is difficult for me to fill out the questionnaire about what I want as a gift. This year I just put down "Rhiassa" and left it to the mind of whoever drew me in the swap. Graham rose to the challenge. He presented me with a scroll (cleverly made up like a Munchkin card) that was an offer for a custom miniquest thrown for Rhiassa. It's probably the greatest thing that I could have been given. There is very little that gold doesn't buy and though I would have deeply appreciated any physical gift made with good intention, what Graham presented was something even more meaningful. A chance for us as a group to have an experience together, to overcome a challenge together, to play together, and to achieve something together. Everyone in Rhiassa is looking forward to it."- Aeston (Jason Rosa)