I have no idea how this started, but in my family and a small circle of close friends, it’s law.
Christmas Eve Gift is a competitive game of verbal tag. Some might call it playful. Others would call it psychological warfare. Both are correct.😂
Once you’ve been “gotten,” you are out with that person for the entire year. No rematches. No grace period. No mercy. You wait a full 365 days for redemption.
The Rules (Very Clear. Very Serious.)
- The game only exists on Christmas Eve.
– And yes, Christmas Eve officially begins at 12:00:01 a.m. Alarm clocks are encouraged.⏰ - To win, you must say the words “Christmas Eve Gift” to someone before they say it to you.
–Order matters. Speed matters. Awareness matters. - Once someone gets you, you’re done for the year with that person.
– You are a loser. Not just a loser, a loser until next Christmas Eve.😬 - Deceit, misdirection, and strategy are all allowed.
-Anything short of physical violence is fair game. - Live delivery only.
-Texts, voicemails, emails, DMs, carrier pigeons… nice try. 📱❌
-The phrase must be spoken by a live human being in real time and acknowledged in the moment. - Sleeping targets must be awake.
–Whispering “Christmas Eve Gift” to a sleeping person does not count… but waking them up just to say it absolutely does. - If you hear someone else getting gifted, you are now on high alert.🚨
–Hesitate and you will be ambushed. Many a confident gifter has become an instant giftee.
Advanced Play (For Veterans Only)
- Entire rooms can be gifted at once, if your timing and volume are perfect.
- Phones on Christmas Eve are answered with “Christmas Eve Gift!” automatically.
This has caused workplace confusion. We accept that risk. - New spouses and friends are warned in advance.
Some adapt quickly. Others never develop the instincts. That’s on them.🤷♂️
As adults, we’ve all gone a little darker with it. The competition is quieter, sneakier, and more calculated but the stakes remain unchanged.
It’s tradition.
It’s ridiculous.
And it is not optional if you’re one of us.🎄🎁😄
Head YES man at FresYes.com
I grew up in Fresno. Relaxed in its calm breezes, listened with my dad to the crack of the bat at little league baseball games when I was a kid and now take my son to do the same at minor league games. I broadened my mind at its schools (I went to high school right here at San Joaquin Memorial, and to college at Fresno State!) I love that if I drive for two hours in one direction, I can be in the mountains. For two hours in another, luxuriating on a California beach. I can enjoy the cosmopolitan atmosphere of San Francisco or Los Angeles, but still be able to come home to relaxation, calm, and quiet.
I love where I live, and I also love what I do. I'm lucky to be able to work in a profession in which I get to build relationships; one that has me meeting new people each and every day and helping them to build new lives in my beloved city. I'm lucky enough to work in a profession in which I can marry cutting-edge technologies and marketing techniques to good, old-fashioned, nose-to-the-grindstone work. I am lucky enough to work in a profession that allows me to work as an advocate for my clients; to use every tool at my disposal to get a job done well for them, and with as little stress and expense as possible.
I love my city. I love my job. One inspires my excellence for the other.
Fresno? I say FresYES
I love where I live, and I also love what I do. I'm lucky to be able to work in a profession in which I get to build relationships; one that has me meeting new people each and every day and helping them to build new lives in my beloved city. I'm lucky enough to work in a profession in which I can marry cutting-edge technologies and marketing techniques to good, old-fashioned, nose-to-the-grindstone work. I am lucky enough to work in a profession that allows me to work as an advocate for my clients; to use every tool at my disposal to get a job done well for them, and with as little stress and expense as possible.
I love my city. I love my job. One inspires my excellence for the other.
Fresno? I say FresYES
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