I first experienced this phenomenon a couple years ago when a friend invited me to a Christmas cookie exchange, and again this past weekend. The idea is that a bunch of friends get together and each person brings a small number of cookies to share with every other person. Each person goes home with the same number of cookies they brought, but with more variety. Sometimes there is a recipe exchange included so that if you really like your friend’s cookies you can make them yourself. So here’s my top 9 list of Christmas cookie exchange awesomeness:

1. It is an excuse to consume butter and sugar. Lots of it!
2. It lets you see people that you might not normally see, or meet new people if you like that kind of thing!
3. You can get a good laugh out of other people’s tacky Christmas sweaters (and you can wear one if you like tacky).
4. It usually involves getting to eat other holiday treats like spinach dip, nacho cheese, meatballs, pretzels with hershey’s kisses melted on top, and punch (spiked of course).
5. You get to bake. This one could be good or bad, depending on how good at baking you are. If you are the person that makes a bunch of cookie dough and then realizes that you don’t own baking sheets, this might not be enjoyable to you!
6. Variety. Enough said.
7. You make the people you live with happy by bringing home treats, although I warn that this could backfire if your friends can’t bake.
8. If you aren’t so into the holidays, it can count as your one holiday party!
9. Did I mention butter and sugar?