Spread cheer this year....become a HOLIDAY HOOLIGAN!

Hooligan: "A tough and aggressive or violent youth." 

Well, the only thing we're aggressive  about is passing on good will. 

You will join us in this silly, goodwill venture, won't you???

Hooly says, "Do it today! You'll be glad you did!"

What is a Holiday Hooligan and how can I become one?? 

I'm glad you asked.  It's pretty simple.  It's similar to the "Secret Santa"  traditions carried out at many schools and businesses, only there is no institutional boundary, no drawing names, no "showing yourself on the last day." No, this is as anonymous as it can be. You won't know the people you send the gift to, and more than likely, they won't know you. 

Simply, you pick a person out of an online gift registry and send them a gift on their list. You do so without want of anything in return and you do so anonymously. No, don't pick out the most expensive gift, well, unless you *really* want to brighten someone's day. Rather, pick out a reasonable gift, one that may have meaning to you be it a favorite book/CD, or pick out the most inexpensive gift on the list.  You decide what kind of HOOLIGAN you want to be and what you choose to send is up to you.  

All that's required of you is to purchase the gift, send it to the "victim" and include a message like this: 

Most shops offer the gift notes for free, so please include one so that the recipient is aware that the gift was a gift and not just an accidental mailing. Feel free to upgrade with wrapping/gift cards if you so desire. Just be certain to mention that you're a "Holiday Hooligan." or www.holidayhooligans.com.

What is the origin of the Holiday Hooligans??

It came to me while I was browsing on Amazon.com's wish list section a few years ago. Millions of people have put in their holiday wish list on this site. You can search on strange terms or just names like "Bobby" or choose your own name, and you'll see a list of people and their desired items that they want from that site. Some people want little trinkets and some want big screen televisions. Some a fine mix of both. 

So I got to thinking....what if I just sent someone their *wish*. What if I granted their *wish*...a small amount of money for a surprised smile that's going to be on the face of the recipient.  The person may be rich or poor...that is of no consequence for this activity. The game is to bring back some of the faith in humanity to give freely JUST to make someone else happy...someone who you don't know...someone who has no ties to "have to" write a thank-you note...someone who may just need a feeling that there are decent, wacky, generous people in the world, and for that shiny moment maybe they believed in the holiday spirit. Maybe for that day or that month their spirit of generosity grew and it spread to another and another and another...  what wonderful things could grow from a single small gift to a stranger? Why not a global "Secret Santa"?