Neighborhood Christmas Celebration - Those Neighborhood Parties Demand Original Gifts

Every year about this time, our neighborhood gets together to do a gift exchange, enjoy Santa Claus, and share some Christmas Goodies. But this year, we decided it should be different. Along with the usual celebration, goodies, and gifts, we decided to share our holiday festivities with others.

Cookie Exchanges:

Chocolate Christmas Cookies

We all brought our usual seven dozen cookies but we wrapped them in packages of six cookies each, plus a small gift for a child. We each took home seven packages of six cookies and the other seven packages of cookies we normally would have taken home went into the box of goodies we shipped to "others".

There were seven cookie exchanges in our neighborhood this year.

Stocking Stuffing Crafts Night:

Again, we each brought our usual number of gifts, plus one small gift for a child. Everyone brought seven stocking stuffers, plus four more. These could be anything. But most of us made our stocking stuffers. Things like winter crocheted or knitted caps, scarves, book covers, tote bags, or bookmarks were poplar. We filled up seven extra stockings!

Those seven extra stockings were put in our gifts for "others".

Santa Claus Night:

This was the most fun night of all. Besides our own children, we were asked to bring three extra children (no kidnapping allowed, but we could invite children who weren't privileged). Those extra cookies, stockings, and gifts collected at other events were used to give the extra children (and parents who were willing to come) gifts.

Santa had all the gifts to give out, and everyone received gifts from the bag.

Amazingly, we sang carols most of the evening, shared spiced cider and cookies, and celebrated around the Christmas tree, with friends, family, and some new folks I'd never met before. The true joy was watching children carry out a gift they hadn't expected to receive as if it was the most precious thing they'd ever received.

Neighborhood Christmas Celebration - Those Neighborhood Parties Demand Original Gifts

Are you ready to plan a Neighborhood Celebration?

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