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2025: One Swap After Another || SIGN-UPS ARE OPEN!
Hello from this year's primary mod, Helen! Kat and Livi have largely stepped away this year, but are very kindly helping with some behind the scenes stuff. Most posts and emails will be from me :) This will be my first time doing a lot of the swaps process, so if you notice anything seriously awry, please let me know!
YULESWAPS 2025 SCHEDULE:
+ Sign-up forms are open now and will close on Friday, October 31st, 2025 at 10:00 AM PDT. Click here for a countdown. Tell your friends! Tell your enemies! Tell Siri to set a reminder!
+ Match-ups will go out by early November over a period of 3-ish days (to accommodate mail merge sending limits).
You will then have at least 2 weeks to MAIL YOUR PACKAGE/S. Before signing up, please do a reality/calendar check to make sure you have the time, money, and bandwidth! (PLEASE research international shipping if you've never done it before! It's $$$! Read on for a section about new issues with international shipping this year.)
Multi-swap swappers: DO NOT WAIT to check in, and especially don't wait to contact your recipient/s! The clock starts separately for each swap when it hits your inbox. Your recip WILL worry. They WILL email us, appropriately. We WILL email you, annoyed. ;3
+ This year's SENDING DEADLINE: Friday, November 21st, 2025 (close of business at your local post office/courier service, or midnight if you're ordering online!) Put it on your calendar!
REMINDERS:
+ Swaps Central: Our all-in-one check-in form! Link to be provided constantly after match-ups. The most crucial check-ins are immediately after you receive your match-up email and immediately after you've SENT your package/s.
We know who checks in on time and who doesn't! (But we also send reminders to ensure everyone checks in.)
+ Email: Please be prepared to contact your recipient within 48 hours of receiving your match-up email + respond to your sender ASAP when they email you (even if it's brief). We want to know soon after match-ups that everyone has successfully received at least 1 email from their sender AND at least 1 email from their recip, and make sure you're all set up to shop/order/mail gifts on time!
If you haven't heard from your sender within 48 hours, first check your spam folder, then feel free to try emailing them! If you still haven't heard from them after 4 days, please email us to prod your sender.
(If you're new, whitelist yuleswaps at gmail dot com to be sure you get all our emails! But also check spam/watch this community just in case.)
+ Defaulting/withdrawing: We want swaps to be fun, not stressful. So first, if you're stressed now just imagining "email back tomorrow" or "get to the post office by next weekend," please don't sign up. Maybe next year! But IF YOU DO sign up and then FOR ANY REASON realize you're no longer up to it -- just tell us! The sooner and more honestly you communicate with us, the easier it is for us to work out a solution that protects your sender and recip, frees you from anxiety, AND potentially allows you to participate in the future. <3
Also, let us know ASAP if you need an extension on sending out your package! If you don't send out a package by the deadline and don't contact us for an extension, we will assume you defaulted (or vanished off the face of the earth). We will a) worry and b) have to eventually ban you. :(
+ DW/LJ/Discord: We always update on DW as soon as match-ups go out, in case any emails get eaten by spam. Please see the current FAQ for instructions on how to track the various yuleswaps tags!
(We didn't consolidate tags this year....maybe next year.)
(We also have a channel in the Yuletide Discord, which will be checked intermittently by Helen. Please do not use it as a substitute for emailing us directly!)
+ Signing up: Google Forms should send a copy of your sign-up responses. You can edit them (via the link provided in that email) until sign-ups close! Please read the instructions carefully.
+ Aspiring international swappers: Swappers beware! Shipping to the US this year has become a fun new quagmire thanks to changes in tariffs and customs laws. We have added questions to the sign-up forms to gather data on people's international shipping experiences, and urge everyone considering shipping to the US from other countries to research the process - what we've heard so far indicates that shipping to the US has been a disaster for many, while shipping internationally from the US remains about as difficult as usual. Additionally, Canada Post is on a rotating strike that may impact sending and/or receiving mail. We may send out additional emails regarding international shipping after sign-ups close and we've read about your experiences.
AND FINALLY... SIGN-UPS!
Welcome to Swaps 2025: One Swap After Another!
Candyswap 2025: One Treat After Another!
Drinkswap 2025: One Sip After Another!
Bookswap 2025: One Page After Another!
Questions? Check out the current FAQ. (Updated November 2025 to address specific issues with international shipping.) If that doesn't help, feel free to comment here or email us at yuleswaps at gmail dot com!
YULESWAPS 2025 SCHEDULE:
+ Sign-up forms are open now and will close on Friday, October 31st, 2025 at 10:00 AM PDT. Click here for a countdown. Tell your friends! Tell your enemies! Tell Siri to set a reminder!
+ Match-ups will go out by early November over a period of 3-ish days (to accommodate mail merge sending limits).
You will then have at least 2 weeks to MAIL YOUR PACKAGE/S. Before signing up, please do a reality/calendar check to make sure you have the time, money, and bandwidth! (PLEASE research international shipping if you've never done it before! It's $$$! Read on for a section about new issues with international shipping this year.)
Multi-swap swappers: DO NOT WAIT to check in, and especially don't wait to contact your recipient/s! The clock starts separately for each swap when it hits your inbox. Your recip WILL worry. They WILL email us, appropriately. We WILL email you, annoyed. ;3
+ This year's SENDING DEADLINE: Friday, November 21st, 2025 (close of business at your local post office/courier service, or midnight if you're ordering online!) Put it on your calendar!
REMINDERS:
+ Swaps Central: Our all-in-one check-in form! Link to be provided constantly after match-ups. The most crucial check-ins are immediately after you receive your match-up email and immediately after you've SENT your package/s.
We know who checks in on time and who doesn't! (But we also send reminders to ensure everyone checks in.)
+ Email: Please be prepared to contact your recipient within 48 hours of receiving your match-up email + respond to your sender ASAP when they email you (even if it's brief). We want to know soon after match-ups that everyone has successfully received at least 1 email from their sender AND at least 1 email from their recip, and make sure you're all set up to shop/order/mail gifts on time!
If you haven't heard from your sender within 48 hours, first check your spam folder, then feel free to try emailing them! If you still haven't heard from them after 4 days, please email us to prod your sender.
(If you're new, whitelist yuleswaps at gmail dot com to be sure you get all our emails! But also check spam/watch this community just in case.)
+ Defaulting/withdrawing: We want swaps to be fun, not stressful. So first, if you're stressed now just imagining "email back tomorrow" or "get to the post office by next weekend," please don't sign up. Maybe next year! But IF YOU DO sign up and then FOR ANY REASON realize you're no longer up to it -- just tell us! The sooner and more honestly you communicate with us, the easier it is for us to work out a solution that protects your sender and recip, frees you from anxiety, AND potentially allows you to participate in the future. <3
Also, let us know ASAP if you need an extension on sending out your package! If you don't send out a package by the deadline and don't contact us for an extension, we will assume you defaulted (or vanished off the face of the earth). We will a) worry and b) have to eventually ban you. :(
+ DW/LJ/Discord: We always update on DW as soon as match-ups go out, in case any emails get eaten by spam. Please see the current FAQ for instructions on how to track the various yuleswaps tags!
(We didn't consolidate tags this year....maybe next year.)
(We also have a channel in the Yuletide Discord, which will be checked intermittently by Helen. Please do not use it as a substitute for emailing us directly!)
+ Signing up: Google Forms should send a copy of your sign-up responses. You can edit them (via the link provided in that email) until sign-ups close! Please read the instructions carefully.
+ Aspiring international swappers: Swappers beware! Shipping to the US this year has become a fun new quagmire thanks to changes in tariffs and customs laws. We have added questions to the sign-up forms to gather data on people's international shipping experiences, and urge everyone considering shipping to the US from other countries to research the process - what we've heard so far indicates that shipping to the US has been a disaster for many, while shipping internationally from the US remains about as difficult as usual. Additionally, Canada Post is on a rotating strike that may impact sending and/or receiving mail. We may send out additional emails regarding international shipping after sign-ups close and we've read about your experiences.
AND FINALLY... SIGN-UPS!
Welcome to Swaps 2025: One Swap After Another!
Drinkswap 2025: One Sip After Another!
Bookswap 2025: One Page After Another!
Questions? Check out the current FAQ. (Updated November 2025 to address specific issues with international shipping.) If that doesn't help, feel free to comment here or email us at yuleswaps at gmail dot com!
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