The Christmas Game

Not really a game.

In the box: 1 booklet, 100 cards

Every year that we have company for the holidays I go shopping for a new Christmas game. They are really getting few and far between, so I was excited when I discovered this one. "Have your best Christmas ever" sounded real promising!

The game includes a booklet (in the middle above) and 2 decks of large, laminated cards. The cards fall into nine different categories: presents, traditions, togetherness, kindness, projects, learning, challenges, games and memories. The box states that whether you play for an hour or a day, this game would make the holiday more meaningful and memorable. Still on board after reading the box, I eagerly opened the first set of cards. I am picturing our little group gathered in the family room for an afternoon of fun, the fireplace going and warm cocoa in hand, as I start reading the cards. Here are a few examples:

• Togetherness - Clean up your room. Make your home a nicer place for everyone by tidying your living space or another room
• Learning - Thriftiness. Discover three good new ways to save money.
• Memories - Looking forward. All players write in the memory book something they are looking forward to next year.
• Kindness - Feed the birds. Install a bird feeder, bird house, or bird bath.
• Kindness - Love your library. Support your local library by visiting it and using your library card (if the library isn't open now, commit to a time to go).
• Tradition - Home made bread. Start a loaf of home made bread.
• Games - Play charades and Guess the song. They can both be adapted to Christmas but you will have to either buy your own games for these or make them up. Nothing is supplied but the suggestions. 
• Kindness - Forgiveness. All players forgive someone for a mistake, even if it was a serious mistake.

First of all, nothing would bring a party to a quicker end than by my family dredging up old offenses. Even if the reasoning behind it is a good one, is a party really the right time and place for that? I kept turning the cards over and looking at the back, printed with the game name surrounded by pretty snowflakes, to reassure myself this was in reality being billed as a Christmas game. Because nothing in it said Christmas to me. In addition, who gathers the family together for fun and then presents them with a cart full of cleaning supplies and tells them to pick a room, or announces "In the car, we're going to the library" or gives assignments for writing in a memory book (not included). 

So finally I decided to read the enclosed booklet. It turns out the game was created to take the focus off the commercialism of Christmas and put it on the real values that matter. My take after reading the booklet is that the cards are meant for a family that lives together. Many of the activities would be done over the course of time, for instance a week for everyone to get to the library. Baking bread could be done as family members are gathered to prepare a meal which includes a loaf of bread.

While the idea behind the game is good, why bill it as a game? Or at least make it clear on the outside of the box or in the description that this is not a game for a casual group of Christmas party goers. 

That's my opinion. You can make up your own mind. Merry Christmas either way.