Jar of Dirt and TikTok Factoids

New Year’s Eve parties and accidental witchery

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Now that we’re already a week into January, how did you ring in 2025?

I went to a New Year’s Eve party that my friends Maggie and Tom threw. The party was in front of their house, the stairs strung up with white Christmas lights. There was a table with party drinks and snacks, and a gentle breeze blowing in from the river. Like a mini block party.

There was also a table with Chaosmas gifts. Chaosmas is like the White Elephant exchange game, except you don’t have to bring a gift which was great because I was running late and unable to bring anything except my glittery purple eyelids, Parade slip dress, and winning personality.

Like in White Elephant, I unwrapped my gift — a Club Sourdough hat with an angel winged sirloin embroidered on the back — and had to decide whether to keep or trade it with someone else.

I weaved my way through the party, keeping an eye out for good trades. But most gifts from games like these are common things, so it’s impossible to know whether the person holding a bright yellow shower curtain is a Chaosmas victim or simply opted out of a shopping bag.

Someone had a jar of dirt though and when asked what they could use it for, at the same time they said make a planter, I suggested…