Chanukah Party - Gift Exchange
Since Chanukah lasts for eight days, there is plenty of opportunity to celebrate with family and friends. Last year I went to a girls only gift exchange and had the best time!
My friend Carla decided to invite some girlfriends over for a Chanukah gift exchange on the third night of Chanukah. It was a weeknight so she figured there wouldn't be a lot going on. I received the party invitation a few weeks in advance. It was hand delivered to my front door. Carla had bought small light blue Chinese food take-out boxes. She removed the metal handle from the box and strung silver, white, and blue colored beads along it, then put it back on. When I opened the box there was shimmery silver tissue paper around a note and small beautifully wrapped gift box. The note was an invitation to an informal holiday gift exchange and it gave all of the specifics for the party. Inside the gift box was a blessing ring, a small silver ring for my key chain. It was engraved with the word friendship.
The invitation asked guests to bring a wrapped gift costing no more than $15.00. I love buying presents so this would be easy for me. I knew the group of girls Carla was inviting were outgoing and trendy so I decided to take a trip to a small lingerie boutique near my home.
The boutique proved to be a good choice. They were having a sale. I looked around and finally decided on two pairs of sexy g-string underwear. One was white and one was blue, so no one could charge me with not thinking it appropriate. I had the salesgirl wrap them in tissue paper and place them in a large bag with a bow. I was hoping to give the illusion of a much bigger gift.
When I arrived at the Chanukah party I was impressed by the beautiful holiday decorations Carla had around the house. While she showed me where to put my gift for the exchange, I admired huge fresh flower arrangements in blue vases. Candles were lit throughout the house and silver Stars of David hung in every walkway. She had situated the furniture in her living room against the walls and added lots of large floor pillows for sitting. This would be the spot where we would linger the longest.
I followed Carla to the kitchen where dessert and drinks were being served. A very nice looking bartender was pouring blue martinis. Around each martini glass was a small silver charm with a special word etched in it. Mine said smile so I did. Large glass platters with silver around the edges were filled with small chocolate brownies, Star of David sugar cookies with blue crystals and lemon bars dusted with powdered sugar. Another very attractive guy was standing behind the counter serving fondue. There was a tray of strawberries, bananas, pineapple and marshmallows to choose from and the fondue chef (as we called him) would skewer your pick and dip it in chocolate for eating. He actually looked good enough to eat and had several girls salivating for more than just fruit.
When it came time for the gift exchange we all made our way into the living room and got comfortable. Carla had each guest draw a number from a hat. For the first round, each guest in number sequence chose a gift from the pile. In the second round, Guest Number 1 opened her gift and showed it to everyone. Guest Number 2 then had the opportunity to open the gift in her hand, or “steal” the open gift from Guest Number 1 in exchange for the wrapped one she was holding. If she steals, the person she has stolen from gets the wrapped gift and opens it for everyone to see. The game continues through the numbers, with all of the open gifts available for stealing. However, once a gift was stolen twice, it stayed with that person and could not be stolen again.
Well, remember I mentioned the kind of crowd these girls are? The very first gift opened was a porno movie! I couldn't believe it. And everyone wanted it. Of course it was stolen twice before finally resting in the lap of Carla's sweet, innocent friend Tammy. When it came around to the gift I brought being opened, the girls loved it. The sexy panties were stolen immediately and then again. And guess what? Then it was my turn. Carla instructed everyone not to disclose the gift they brought so I had no hesitation about winning my own gift. I stole the g-strings and was happy I did.
There really was no bad gift in the bunch. I think everyone ended up with something they liked. The food and company were great and I was sorry for the evening to end. With gift in hand I thanked Carla for a wonderful Chanukah party and told her I looked forward to next year's holiday celebration.
