Family Christmas

Gift exchanges, traditions, and Christmas across more than one household.

• Six ways to run a family gift exchange

  Secret Santa is one option out of several. Here are six formats, what each one is actually good at, and which size of family it suits.

• White Elephant Rules, Explained Properly

  How the game actually works, the steal limit that stops it running for an hour, and when Secret Santa is the better choice.

• Family Christmas traditions worth starting this year

  A tradition is just a thing you did twice on purpose. Fifteen that cost little, work with a wide age range, and survive a family getting bigger.

• Christmas gift exchange games for families

  White elephant, dice, stealing, the one with the wrapped mystery box. Seven games, with the rules written plainly and what each one is actually good at.

• Christmas traditions that work in a blended family

  Two sets of traditions, split households, children moving between homes on the day. What helps, in practice, from families who have worked it out.