How it is already the end of August??
The beginning of September is usually when we (the mods) start planning, discussing, updating rules, pre-writing posts, creating banners, etc. A lot goes on behind the scenes for this event, but we sincerely love being able to facilitate it. And we adore seeing all the creativity you guys demonstrate year after year. This is an older fandom, yet we actually see a steadily-increasing number of participants, which is incredible!
The truth is, though, with so many people taking part in this event, we’ve seen a corresponding upswing in the amount of effort it takes to bring it to fruition. We have three mods, which theoretically means we can split the burden evenly, but we all work full-time and have busy lives. Moderating a gift exchange during such a hectic time of year means that we, like the participants, have to work around other people’s wonky schedules and changing plans. And the longer the event has gone on, the more we find ourselves spending the entire month of December sending out frantic emails to check on progress, freaking out about last-minute dropouts, and—invariably—scrambling to fill requests ourselves in the wee hours to make sure that every single person receives something.
Back when we had fewer of these to do, it wasn’t as much of a problem! But last year we had 63 signups and ended up needing to create about 10 last-minute gifts. We were able to find a couple of absolute angels to pinch-hit for us, but two of our mods were still churning out 6 full-color illustrations on Christmas Eve. We’ve tried various methods throughout the years to mitigate it, but we’ve come to realize that it’s simply part of moderating an event like this. And it’s starting to become unsustainable.
As much as we love putting on the exchange, we haven’t been able to be fully present with our loved ones during the holiday season since 2017. It’s rewarding to bring it all together every year, but the stress has begun to overshadow the joy. We’d like to step away and not only take time for ourselves, but maybe give someone else the opportunity to breathe new life into the event. So regrettably, unless we find someone who is interested in taking the reins, there will not be a Happy Hobbit Holiday 2022.
To all the people who have participated in the exchange in years past, we’re so grateful to you for your hand work, your passion, your creativity, your feedback, and your continued interest in this event! We hope that you’ll continue to share your talents for years to come, and we’ll be awaiting your beautiful future work with Kudos and keysmashes!
To anyone who has ever done a pinch-hit for us, you have been the backbone of every single HHH exchange we’ve done for the last five years. We literally could not have accomplished it without you. You’ve saved our sanity and our wrists in equal measure, and there aren’t enough words to convey our gratitude. Thank you, thank you, thank you, from the bottom of our hearts.
And finally, if anyone is interested in taking over moderation of the HHH Gift Exchange, feel free to reach out to @rutobuka2, @mithrilbikini, or @mcmanatea here on Tumblr, or email us at [email protected]. (Serious inquiries only.) We’d be more than happy to provide support during the transition.
