Lunar New Year 2024 Package – US Only

Please read the entire swap description before signing up.

(Consider joining also my Lunar New Year 2024 Flat Mail - International and/or my Twelve Days of Christmas TEA - USA only swap.)

Summary: You will have one US-based partner and mail them a small package of at least 5 items related to Lunar New Year. You will rate the partner sending to you in a timely and gracious manner.

If that sounds like something you´d like to do, read on!

The Lunar New Year in 2024 begins on February 10th. We´ll be ushering in the Year of the Dragon. Because of my specific birthdate, the dragon is my own “sign”; however, alas! I live in a place where Lunar New Year is not celebrated, acknowledged, or even known about, so I´ll have to create my own festivities. This swap will comprise part of the celebration, and I hope you will join me in it regardless of your own sign or ethnic identity.

Get together a set of at least 5 different Lunar New Year-related items to send to your partner. You may include more than 5, but there should be a least five different things. This is a Type 3 swap, and as such, the items should not all be paper and/or flat, and they should have a retail value (before shipping) of at least $8.

Some examples of what to include might be: an ornament or garland, a beautiful red envelope for the occasion, a sheet of stickers, a pendant or pair of earrings, a pack of paper plates, a scarf, an Asian lion or dragon figurine or plush (please, no Western dragon items), a pretty paper lantern, a book, some temporary tattoos, a deck of cards, lucky coins, a toy, etc. Items can be store bought or expertly handmade; most will probably be red and/gold, and all should be related to this holiday in some way.

Mail your festive items securely packaged, in a padded envelope or other appropriate container, by January 31st at the latest. Include a cute card or a short note—perhaps a comment about your favorite item in the package, a recipe you´ve used for Lunar New Year in the past, or what your plans are for the holiday this year. Don´t forget to include the name of the swap and your Swap-bot username. This swap is USA-only in order to keep postage costs down; feel free to create a similar swap if you´d like an international version.

The items swapped are sender´s choice, but be sure to send a nice mix of things that you would be happy to receive. I recommend that you begin right away to search for items for this exchange, either online or (if you are lucky enough to live someplace where this is possible) in brick and mortar stores. Though this is not a particularly complicated swap and requires no crafting talent to participate in, do plan to put some thought and care into it.

Also plan on being a gracious, fairly-rating recipient, and to re-gift any items you are sent that you do not particularly care for or cannot use. Rate your partner as soon as you can after receiving your package, using the description of this swap as your criteria. If there is a problem with what you receive, contact your partner privately to attempt to resolve the issue before you rate less than a 5. Be sure to keep me, as host, apprised of the situation.

Feel free to decorate the package you mail or wrap or otherwise create a special "presentation" for the items you´re sending, if you wish to; however, this is not at all required. As long as what you receive follows the swap rules, your rating should not depend upon presentation.

Partners will be assigned on January 21st and packages should be mailed soon after that, by January 31st. (“Sender´s choice” means you can absolutely go ahead and get your items ready to go before the deadline.) A minimum rating average of 4.98 is required to participate, and you should have at least ten completed and rated (as 5s) type-3 swaps under your belt, and no recent 1s or 3s. (If your rating is slightly below that and you still want to participate, pm me and we can talk.) I do check profiles, and I reserve the right to ban anyone for any reason. I will angel, if necessary, but please don´t make that necessary.

Questions or comments? PM me or leave a comment below, as I do occasionally check comments on my swaps.