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Greetings from F52 HQ

You're Invited to Food52's Holiday Swap—2020-Style

You can sign up now to spread a whole lot of holiday cheer (and get a token of comfort and joy in return).

by:
October 16, 2020

For 11 years, Food52 has been a gathering place for people who believe food is the center of a life well-lived. We support and connect home cooks of all stripes; share the handiest tools for every room in the home; and work with writers from around the world to bring back delicious recipes and heartwarming stories.

Our community is the backbone of Food52 and has been since the start—but is especially important this year. While we can't necessarily be with friends and loved ones in person, we can connect with and celebrate them in other ways, and spread a little joy while we're at it. Food52ers are experts at this.

That's why we’re excited to announce the return of our favorite community event of the season: The Food52 Holiday Swap. And this year, we're doing it 2020-style.

If you haven't been involved in the Swap before, here's a mini-history lesson: Ten years ago, F52er Noëlle (aka, enbe) posted on the Hotline, suggesting a simple food-centered gift exchange between members of the community. Clearly, the idea was a hit—and Noëlle has so graciously worked together with us for the past decade to make the Swap happen.

Join The Conversation

Top Comment:
“so, I may be a month early to any announcement of Food52 Holiday Swap but just putting it out there...getting excited...and hopeful! Will there be a swap this year as in previous years (not 2020)? Will we get to share baking treats? Sure hoping so. Thanks for coming up with a creative way to keep us going last year. ”
— Terrill
Comment

Each of those years, F52ers have sent the most incredible, thoughtful gifts to each other (to see all the joy, check out #f52holidayswap, plus the Swap's very own Instagram account here). Our community is also thoughtful in giving back: All participants donate $5 (or more) to Food52's annual charity partner. As we have in years past, we're excited to work with No Kid Hungry in 2020: It's a national campaign to end childhood hunger in America through before-and after-school meal plans; food skills and nutrition education programs for families; and research, policy, and advocacy measures.


What's New With the Swap

This year, we'll be doing things a little differently with the Swap. With many of us still sheltering in place, we wanted to keep the spirit of the Swap alive while also keeping our community safest. So, we're offering two ways to participate in the Swap this year:

As one option, we're encouraging participants to purchase a special, maker-crafted item from our Shop to send to their Swapee. This year, we're happy to note that we'll also be donating all profits from each Swap purchase to No Kid Hungry. We're thrilled to be able to do a little bit more for our partner with your help. (Please note that this option is limited to participants with shipping addresses in the U.S. only.)

Or, if you would like to in participate a different way (or live outside of the U.S.) you can instead share a special something that will bring your Swapee joy and comfort this holiday: Develop a custom recipe for your Swapee based on their dietary preferences and tastes, or send them a cherished family recipe that you think they'll love; while you're at it, share a family story or tradition that'll make them (and you!) smile.

(Psst: If you live in the U.S. and want to participate both ways, you can do that, too! You'll just have to fill out this form again and donate to No Kid Hungry a second time.)

So come one, come all—seasoned Holiday Swappers and Swappers-to-Be! Though we know this year looks a little different than Swaps of years past, we hope it'll bring some joy and community connection to your holiday season this year. Next year, we hope to get back to the way we usually do things—sharing homemade treats and wonderful trinkets with other Food52ers. We hope that this year's Swap will still bring you holiday cheer, and allow you to make cherished memories and new friends along the way.

Interested in joining? Read on for a step-by-step guide.


How To Participate In The Holiday Swap

Who doesn't love surprise packages, especially around the holidays and especially from fellow members of our lovely Food52 community? Here, back for its tenth year, is the Holiday Swap—and it's about that time to sign on up!

1) Fill out your information in this form by Monday, Nov. 16. (You'll need to sign up for a Food52 account first if you don't already have one.)

2) Before you're able to submit your form, you'll need to contribute a donation of at least $5 to No Kid Hungry.

3) Receive an email with your Swapee's name and information by Tuesday, Nov. 24. Make sure to add f52secretswap@gmail.com to your address book so the email doesn't get sent to your spam folder. (And note that even though that we call it a "swap," you just might send to and receive a holiday surprise from different folks, getting a chance to interact with two F52ers instead of one!)

4) The best part: Prepare a holiday surprise for your Swapee! We ask that you order your gift or put the finishing touches on your personal message by Friday, December 4. Some guidelines for each Swap option below:

For the holiday gift option: Visit the Food52 Shop and pick out a special gift that's under $50 (we've got a few ideas for where to start here—but anything is fair game: cookbooks, jams and preserves, unique ornaments and trinkets, a new apron... the list goes on). When you get to the checkout, enter your Swapee's address in the "Shipping Address" field, and enter the code SWAP2020 to make sure your purchase gets counted towards our donation to No Kid Hungry. Feel free to send along a snail mail card separately as well for a personal touch. We're just asking that people don't exchange home baked goods this year to keep everyone comfortable.

For the recipe exchange: Take a peek at your Swapee's dietary restrictions and tastes, then craft a custom recipe for them (our former recipe developer, Ella Quittner, has a few tips on how to get started). Or, dig up a family favorite from your recipe box that you think your Swapee will love. Write it down in your own special way (this could be on a simple index card, custom-designed using your Photoshop skills, or uploaded to Food52 and printed out), tuck it in a lovely card of your choosing (with a message full of holiday cheer, of course!), and send it off to your Swapee.

And regardless of which route you decide to take, please note that we are asking that folks kindly do not send each other handmade treats for safety.

(Psst: If you'd like and are able to participate both ways, you can do that, too! You'll just have to fill out this form again and donate to No Kid Hungry a second time.)

5) Get a surprise in the mail from your Secret Swapper and open with glee! Take pictures of your special token and share them on Instagram—tag them with #f52holidayswap.

6) Thank your Swapper by snail mail, email, skywriting, or your preferred method of communication. (We can't say enough how essential this step is, so try not to forget, please!)

By signing up for this swap, you are promising to send a gift or another surprise of some kind. Don't leave a fellow Food52er hanging! (We will find out, and unfortunately, you will not be allowed to participate in future swaps.)

For community members outside the U.S.—you’re welcome, too! Note, though, that if you are international and sign up, you're committing to sending your surprise anywhere, either in your home country or elsewhere in the world.

Have any questions? Ask them in the comments, or email us at f52secretswap@gmail.com.

What's your favorite way to spread holiday cheer? Share in the comments section below!

See what other Food52 readers are saying.

  • Terrill
    Terrill
  • danajeans
    danajeans
  • Miss_Karen
    Miss_Karen
  • Angela
    Angela
  • TDbailey
    TDbailey
Food52 (we cook 52 weeks a year, get it?) is a food and home brand, here to help you eat thoughtfully and live joyfully.

48 Comments

Terrill September 13, 2021
so, I may be a month early to any announcement of Food52 Holiday Swap but just putting it out there...getting excited...and hopeful! Will there be a swap this year as in previous years (not 2020)? Will we get to share baking treats? Sure hoping so. Thanks for coming up with a creative way to keep us going last year.
 
Rebecca F. October 12, 2021
Stay tuned for an announcement later this week!
 
Terrill October 12, 2021
Whooohooo! Thanks.
 
danajeans December 14, 2020
I never received anything from my swapee. I mean, it's not crazy late, but being an overachiever, I had my gifts sent by December 1.
 
Bevi December 15, 2020
What is the deadline to receive?
 
Rebecca F. January 2, 2021
hi! please email f52secretswap@gmail.com (if you haven't already!) so we can look into this. thank you!
 
Rebecca F. January 2, 2021
hi! there is no receiving deadline, as we can't control the mail, but if you have not received anything by now, please email f52secretswap@gmail.com so we can check on your gift.
 
danajeans January 4, 2021
I have, once or twice--now I just feel petty, so I'm going to let it go.
 
Rebecca F. January 4, 2021
Hi Dana! just checked my records and see we have indeed been emailing about this on f52secretswap@gmail.com! I reached out to your gifter on 12/18 and followed up 12/28, as I noted in my last email to you! Unfortunately I have not yet heard from your gifter. I am monitoring this situation!
 
Miss_Karen November 24, 2020
I did sign up before the deadline, but I have not received my swapee's information. Please tell me there us not a glitch this year....
 
Bevi December 15, 2020
Check your email spam box. That's where I found my swapee's info.
 
Angela November 23, 2020
I am eagerly awaiting getting my person. This is my first year. I am so looking forward to some fun!
 
TDbailey November 22, 2020
I just received info on the holiday food swap. Im so sad I missed the deadline. I enjoyed participating in it last year.I wished I received it the email before the deadline. So sad!
 
Miss_Karen November 23, 2020
I would be happy to swap with you as an osmosis sort of tangent🙂
 
Rhonda November 18, 2020
I received an email after signing up, but accidentally permanently deleted it instead of opening it. I couldn’t believe my error! Can someone help?
 
GinaBDS2017 November 17, 2020
Just read this amazing invitation - I’d love to participate. My birthday was yesterday- hope I can still join. Like others can’t seem to locate the URL
Assist me please🥰
 
heather November 17, 2020
Hi! It’s tough indeed
Log in to your account
Click on your profile icon
Click on “Your Favorites & Collection”
Copy the URL from that tab
 
GinaBDS2017 November 17, 2020
Got it🌱
 
heather November 15, 2020
Signed up! Should I be getting a email acknowledgment?
So excited!!
 
elizabethann1211 November 12, 2020
I've loved participating in the swap, and I absolutely understand the changes that were made this year. I just hope that it is not a permanent change--my favorite part of previous packages has been the inclusion of regional (packaged) treats. Last year, I was sent some jam, cocoa almonds, and local honey that were all locally made. In a pervious year, someone sent me local beer and cider. The change to only being able to pick from the food52 shop makes that sort of thing impossible.
 
Rebecca F. November 13, 2020
Hi! Thanks so much for your understanding, we know this year is a bit different. As Brinda noted in earlier comments, we hope you'll stick with us until we're (fingers crossed!) able to go back to normal in 2021.
 
meplaisance November 8, 2020
I can’t find the URL under my profile. Please advise.
 
Rebecca F. November 13, 2020
Hi! The URL is the unique webpage/website name at the top of the browser when you're on your profile page. I can see that your URL is: "https://food52.com/users/2150713-meplaisance" and your username is: "meplaisance".

I can also send you instructions/videos for how to find this yourself—please email us at f52secretswap@gmail.com if you'd like that info/if you have any any other questions.
 
Rebecca F. November 13, 2020
(looks like the URL may not be totally visible in this comment. I'm going to try posting it again now " https://food52. com/users/2150713-meplaisance " )
 
Miss_Karen November 4, 2020
Hmmm.... I've been looking forward to the 52 SWAP all year as a nice break from the plague & now we just get a recipe? (or something from the shop.) It feels somewhat anticlimactic. Sigh!
 
Rebecca F. November 13, 2020
Hi! I'm sorry to hear you're disappointed, we know this year is a bit different. As Brinda noted in earlier comments, we hope you'll stick with us until we're (fingers crossed!) able to go back to normal in 2021.
 
Solveig M. October 29, 2020
Just trying to understand - is it EITHER buy something from the shop OR send a customized recipe, but NOT personally selected items or home made package like last year, as you consider those to potentially be a COVID-19 risk?
 
Rebecca F. November 1, 2020
That's correct! (Or if you want, you can fill out the signup form twice and select one of each option—then you'll be assigned two folks, one to send a shop item to, and one to send a recipe to.)

As Brinda pointed out in an earlier comment, this arrangement was the only way we could absolutely guarantee complete safety and consistency in everyone's Swap packages, which is of the utmost concern to us. We're (hopefully!!) looking forward to things returning to normal next year. Feel free to shoot us an email at f52secretswap@gmail.com with any further questions :)
 
TheFritschKitchen October 27, 2020
I'm very happy that the swap is back this year - I have already been planning on what "pandemic-friendly" package I could put together! I'm just wondering why the requirement had to be that we buy something from the Food52 shop? Our community is so creative, that I am sure we could have come up with some COVID friendly guidelines for everyone to follow...
 
Brinda A. October 27, 2020
Hi there—thanks for this question! We made this a requirement for two reasons: 1) We wanted to make sure we were doing a little extra for No Kid Hungry this year, and this allows us to most effectively track and donate profits. 2) This arrangement was the only way we could absolutely guarantee complete safety and consistency in everyone's Swap packages, which is of the utmost concern to us.

Hope this helps—thanks so much for participating this year, and we hope you'll stick with us until we're (fingers crossed!) able to go back to normal in 2021.
 
cooking_enespanol October 22, 2020
So excited about this!! Would be lovely to participate showing off some Puerto Rican inspired recipes.
 
Elizabeth October 18, 2020
This says we can sign up by Monday Nov. 16, but when I click on it today, it is closed for new entries. Did I miss the deadline somehow?
 
Brinda A. October 23, 2020
Hi Elizabeth, I believe the form should still be accepting entries—please email secretswap@gmail.com if you are having difficulties!
 
La'Chia October 18, 2020
I was wondering what was going to happen with the swap this year! Glad to know it's not canceled.
 
Fieldzee October 16, 2020
I’m unable to find my account link for the form. HELP LOL
 
La'Chia October 18, 2020
When you go to your profile, there's a specific URL. That's what they're looking for. Copy it and paste it into the form.
 
Alicia November 6, 2020
Hi I can't find the URL under my profile??
Thank you
 
Rebecca F. November 13, 2020
Hi! The profile link (or URL) is the unique webpage/website name at the top of the browser when you're on your profile page. I can see that your URL is: "https://food52. com/users/53486-fieldzee." and your username is: "fieldzee".

I can also send you instructions/videos for how to find this yourself—please email us at f52secretswap@gmail.com if you'd like that info/if you have any any other questions.
 
Rebecca F. November 13, 2020
Hi ZoeyGirl22! The profile link (or URL) is the unique webpage/website name at the top of the browser when you're on your profile page. I can see that your URL is: "https://food52. com/users/2148798-zoeygirl22." and your username is: "ZoeyGirl22".

I can also send you instructions/videos for how to find this yourself—please email us at f52secretswap@gmail.com if you'd like that info/if you have any any other questions.
 
Juliana P. October 16, 2020
Is there a general dollar limit for a gift?
 
Brinda A. October 16, 2020
Hi, no minimum or maximum—but generally we ask that folks give gifts that they’d be happy to get. Hope that helps!
 
Jr0717 October 16, 2020
Is the swap already closed? I second Mary E.'s sentiments.
 
Brinda A. October 16, 2020
Hi there! Many apologies for that snag—the form should be open now. Thanks for letting us know!
 
Jr0717 October 16, 2020
Thanks! Just signed up, and I'm already excited for it. Thanks for bringing it back this year and making it work to keep everyone safe!
 
Mary E. October 16, 2020
Signup form says it’s no longer collecting responses
 
Allison S. October 16, 2020
ha! I was just popping in to say the same thing! :) is it possibly not open yet for this year??
 
Andrea K. October 16, 2020
Me too! :( Thought I was fast too!
 
Brinda A. October 16, 2020
Hi there! Many apologies for that snag—the form should be open now. Thanks for letting us know!
 

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