(account deleted) 17 Nov 2016 12:01
Can you feel it in the air? The sense of anticipation and holiday cheer? Uncles are spiking their eggnog, carolers are bundling up, and the goat-demon Krampus is sharpening his claws. That’s right, it’s Christmas/Kwanzaa/Hanukkah/Three-months-after-Eid/Saturnalia time once again! Prepare yourself for that most beloved of traditions, the X-Mas Gift Exchange!
What is this thing?
It's a Secret Santa-style gift exchange, where we all trade little handmade presents, and nobody gets to know who's making their present until after they receive it. Don't spoil the fun — that is lame.
What kind of gifts will be exchanged?
Anything that you can A) make yourself, and B) send over the internet. Drawings, stories, music, videos — seriously, anything. In the past, we’ve had art and stories based on SCP’s, but also music, mock-ups of MtG cards, Wikidot avatars, and even a roleplaying game. As long as it fits within the parameters of what the person has asked for, go nuts.
How do I participate?
Sign up by posting in this thread to state that you're interested. Make sure to say what kind of gifts you would like to give (sketches, short stories, oil paintings, interpretive-dance recordings, whatever) and what kind of gifts you would like to receive ("anything involving one of my SCPs", "art inspired by a tale you wrote", "a song about the Antimemetics Division," whatever). While you can request “anything,” at least some level of specificity, either about the medium or the subject, is appreciated - it makes matching people up a little easier.
How will the gifts be distributed?
Once you've signed up, you will be added to the 2016 Master Spreadsheet of Saturninealia Joy. Once all the sign-ups are in, the ancient sorcery of Excel sheets will be utilized to ensure Maximum Happiness. You will then receive the name and gift request of your person. Each of you will then create your gift and send me a link to it in a Wikidot PM; on the 24th, I will send them out to everyone.
If you do not submit your gift (barring extenuating circumstances) by the deadline, your gift will be held in The Sack of Christmas Purgatory until you submit your gift. This is to discourage people from signing up with no intention of giving.
What do I do once I've opened my gift?
Post it to this thread! We'll all link to our gifts here, and everyone can have some fun trying to guess the givers before the big reveal.
Is there anything I can do to help?
By participating, you are already helping! However, in Secret Santas past, there have been a few wicked souls who were happy to receive gifts, but didn’t feel the need to give any. This meant that good little users who toiled over their gifts awoke on the 24th to find their metaphorical stockings empty, thus going against the entire spirit of Saturnalia.
You can help with this by volunteering as a pinch-hitter. This means that you might be asked to fill in and create a gift for a user whose gift-buddy has slacked off. You can either volunteer in your post, or by sending me a wikidot PM. Please note: You will only have 48 hours in which to make this gift, so please volunteer only if you are confident that you will be able to complete the gift in time. Hopefully, everyone will have their act together and your services will not be needed; nonetheless, you will have my undying gratitude.
Some dates to remember
Last day for sign-up: Saturday, November 26th
Names given out: Monday, November 28th
Gifts due: Thursday, December 22nd
Gifts distributed: Saturday, December 24th
The Big Reveal: Tuesday, December 27th
