So it’s Friday. We made it. If you’re reading this right now, the world didn’t end, and for that, we should all celebrate. Of course, there are still several hours left in the day, so I’m not making any promises. But, look on the bright side: either way you have an excuse to get drunk. And I don’t think I’m alone in saying that all of us could use a drink or eight.

For those of us in the US, the world may not have ended, but it is different. When Festivus began, none of us had ever heard of Sandy Hook Elementary School. Now, the name of that school along with the names of the 26 innocents who died there is seared forever into our hearts and minds. Many of us have spent the week airing our grievances over this tragedy, and Emily and I have struggled with how to continue our Festivus celebrations in light of everything that’s happened.

Ultimately we decided that the show must go on because we could all use a reason to smile, and because we want to celebrate that we are a part of such a wonderful, supportive community of bloggers. I speak for both of us when I say that we were absolutely blown away by the thought and effort you guys put into choosing gifts for each other. Some of them were hilarious, others more heartfelt, but each and every one of them was thoughtful in a way that went above and beyond anything we expected when we first started brainstorming this little holiday celebration.

Alright, I can see you all fidgeting in your seats, so we’ll get to the goods already.

The hints have been dropped, your guesses have been made, and now it’s time to see how wrong you were. Put on your ugly sweaters, have your booze at the ready, and if you would, give me a drum roll, please…

1 Point Perspective received a gift from Liquorstore Bear

25 to Fly received a gift from Meizac

& Squatch Makes Three received a gift from El Guapo

Ambling and Rambling received a gift from The Diary of Mr. Ghost

A Clown on Fire received a gift from I Fkkn Rock

A Flock of Crows received a gift from Lily in Canada

A Gripping Life received a gift from Harper Faulker

A Rich Full Life In Spite of It received a gift from The Bumble Files

Becoming Cliche received a gift from A Clown on Fire

Ben’s Opinion received a gift from A Gripping Life

Broken Condoms received a gift from Brother Jon

Brother Jon received a gift from Shoes on the Wrong Feet

Chez Casa received a gift from The Cheeky Diva

Clip Snark received a gift from Psycho Babble

Creative Liar received a gift from Thoughts and Musings

Disorderly Chickadee received a gift from Unfettered BS

Dork Daddy received a gift from Someone Fat Happened

El Guapo received a gift from You’ve Been Hooked

Excitement on the Side received a gift from Never Contrary

Fear No Weebles received a gift from Healthy Takeover

Harper Faulker received a gift from Just Another Canadian Gurl

Healthy Takeover received a gift from Krug the Thinker

Hello, Greece! received a gift from I’d Rather Be in Iceland

I Fkkn Rokk received a gift from Ruminations on Love and Lunchmeat

I Thought This Would Be Easier received a gift from Excitement on the Side

I’ll Sleep When They’re Grown received a gift from The Middlest Sister

I’d Rather Be in Iceland received a gift from Mooselicker

Jiltaroo received a gift from Wendy’s Works

Just Another Canadian Gurl received a gift from A Rich Full Life in Spite of It

Krug the Thinker received a gift from Broken Condoms

Laments and Lullabies received a gift from I’ll Sleep When They’re Grown

Large Self received a gift from Lazy Laura Maisey

Lazy Laura Maisey received a gift from Becoming Cliche

Life in These Times received a gift from A Flock of Crows

Lily in Canada received a gift from Clip Snark

Liquorstore Bear received a gift from Sips of Jen and Tonic

Meizac received a gift from Summer Solstice Musings

Mooselicker received a gift from Fear No Weebles

Never Contrary received a gift from Life in These Times

Psycho Babble received a gift from Storyteller Girl

Ruminations on Love and Lunchmeat received a gift from Southern Sea Muse

Rutabaga the Mercenary Researcher received a gift from Large Self

Snide Reply received a gift from Rutabaga the Mercenary Researcher

SJ @ Snobbery received a gift from 25 to Fly

Shoes on the Wrong Feet received a gift from Creative Liar

Sips of Jen and Tonic received a gift from This Heart of Mine

Someone Fat Happened received a gift from I Thought This Would Be Easier

Southern Fried Chicken in Vegas received a gift from Dork Daddy

Southern Sea Muse received a gift from Chez Casa

Speaker7 received a gift from Jiltaroo

Storyteller Girl received a gift from Ben’s Opinion

Summer Solstice Musings received a gift from The Tragic Whale

The Bumble Files received a gift from Woman in the Middle

The Cheeky Diva received a gift from Southern Fried Chicken in Vegas

The Diary of Mr. Ghost received a gift from 1 Point Perspective

The Fur Files received a gift from Speaker 7

The Middlest Sister received a gift from Snide Reply

The Tragic Whale received a gift from Laments and Lullabies

This Heart of Mine received a gift from The Fur Files

Thoughts and Musings received a gift from Disorderly Chickadee

Unfettered BS received a gift from & Squatch Makes Three

Wendy’s Works received a gift from Hello, Greece!

Woman in the Middle received a gift from Ambling and Rambling

You’ve Been Hooked received a gift from SJ @ Snobbery

Instead of performing feats of physical strength–although I know all of us would like to see Le Clown wrestle someone while wearing his Festivus gift–we ask you to flex your muscles elsewhere.

The PTA at the school where Sandy Hook Elementary’s surviving students will now attend is asking for snowflakes. They want to give the kids “A White Christmas” when they return to classes after the New Year, and in order to do that, they need a little help. If you’d like to, and if you can get it there in time, make a snowflake of your own and send it to them.

They need all of the snowflakes by January 12, 2013. You can mail them to this address:

Connecticut PTSA
60 Connolly Pkwy, Building 12, Suite 103
Hamden, CT 06514

Now’s it’s time for the mingling and drunken debauchery to begin! Please see The Middlest Sister for your hot chocolate spiked with Bailey’s and Peppermint Schnapps. Mooselicker will be over in the corner waiting to hit on you once you’re drunk. Guap will provide the music, and Ericka’s new penguin, Dave, will provide the entertainment. And, before the evening is through, we hope you’ll all join us outside to watch Alex Rodriguez get run over by a reindeer car.

A very merry holiday to you and yours, and may all of you have the happiest of New Years!