Have you heard? Sign ups for the sixth annual Holiday Swap are underway!
If this is news to you, the Holiday Swap is a community-wide food exchange (like a non-denominational Secret Santa for food-lovers) and Food52ers from all over the world join in. To make sure you have the best experience possible, we've laid out a step-by-step guide to participating.
An outline of the fun:
1) Submit your information to this form by Monday, November 28th. Spread the word and convince your favorite Food52ers to join up as well.
2) Immediately after completing Step 1, donate at least $5 dollars to the Edible Schoolyard Project, using this link.
3) Within a few days of Wednesday, November 30th, you will receive an email with information about your Swapee. (Make sure to add [email protected] to your address book so the email doesn't get sent to your spam folder).
4) The best part: Prepare a holiday package for your Swapee! Think of all the possibilities! Homemade is ideal (you like to cook, right?), but really the goal is to send someone a little bit of holiday joy in whatever way you know how. Maybe your Swapee's profile will give you some clues about what his or her favorite treats are, or maybe you know your passion fruit preserves will knock their socks off. Be creative!
Keep in mind that some items will survive shipping better than others—package them well! Don't worry: we'll have more tips for you about what works well for shipping—and what doesn't—when sign ups close.
5) Drop your package in the mail by Wednesday, December 14th and wait impatiently.
6) Get a package in the mail from your Secret Swapper, open with glee and take pictures before you dig in. Share them on Instagram (don’t forget to tag it with #f52holidayswap) and the Tumblr page (or email me and I will upload it to the Tumblr).
7) Thank your Gifter by snail mail, email, sky writing, or whatever your preference (PLEASE don't forget this, it's essential!).
Remember: this will only work if we all follow these guidelines. By signing up for this swap, you are promising to send a gift. Don't leave a fellow Food52er hanging! (We will find out, you will be banned from future swaps, and you will get coal in your stocking, I'm sure).
Note: For Food52ers outside the U.S.: You’re welcome, too! Because it's trickier to organize, if you are international and sign up, you're committing to sending anywhere, either in your home country or elsewhere in the world.
Any questions? You can reach me at [email protected].
Written by: enbe
Popular on Food52
35 Comments
What a wonderful idea!
Has all the swap information been sent out? Was hoping to get mine soon and start planning. Thank you for all the organizing, so excited for my first swap!
I signed up for the swap this year and am super excited (already narrowing down what to include in my basket :)) but for some reason my credit card wouldn't go through on Edible Schoolyard. I've tried several different cards, including one with a US address (I'm from Canada). Someone from Edible Schoolyard noticed the issue and got in contact with me - I've asked if I could pay through PayPal. In the meantime, I'm just hoping I won't lose my spot because of this? I've never had a problem with US payments in the past!
Thanks for your time,
Tatiana
I'm having difficulty signing up as well. The donation website won't let me choose my country/province! Any other Canadians having problems? Would love to be a part of this event. Thank you so much for organizing this!
Are you still having difficulties signing up? Please let me know if you were able to get your donation in to the Edible Schoolyard Project!
I'm reaching out to the organizers to find out more information for international participants donating to Edible Schoolyard.
If you are still having difficulties please contact us at [email protected] and we'll make sure we get you signed up! We're looking forward to having you join us in the Holiday Swap!
Cristina, I'll make a note of this for your signup. Good to have you back :)
I'm sorry to hear. Thanks for letting us know. You're the second person from Australia who is having problems with this. I would suggest contacting Edible Schoolyard Project directly- since we are not directly associated with the organization- and they should be able to help. I'm also contacting them on my end. Let us know if you continue to have problems!
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