The gift exchange goes by many names in Latin America; in Honduras it's called cuchumbo. The name comes from the containers used to mix things up and draw them at random, like the dice cup.
How the cuchumbo is played in Honduras
The dice cup and the gourd
Before it was a game, a cuchumbo was an object. The Diccionario de americanismos defines it as the cup used to throw dice and as a hollowed-out gourd for carrying water. Both meanings are used in Honduras.
The December exchange
The same dictionary records a meaning used only in Honduras: a gift exchange among friends or coworkers, with names drawn beforehand. It happens in December: at the office before the year closes, in families and among friends.
The wish list and the small treats
After the draw, everyone writes down what they'd like to receive. In many groups, people leave small anonymous treats for their person in the days before the exchange: a sweet or a note on their desk. The fun is that nobody guesses who it is until gift day.
Gift day
On gift day the group gets together and the gifts are handed over one at a time. The giver usually says a few words about the person before revealing themselves: something they're grateful for or admire in them. Then the recipient takes a turn, and so on around the group.
How the app helps
The app runs the draw and keeps the result: each participant sees only who they drew, and the organizer doesn't see the full list either.
Everyone writes their hints on their own page, and their giver can read them. Gift day is up to you: in person, on a video call, or each on their own.
Run your cuchumbo from anywhere
Give the exchange a name and a date, share the link, and everyone finds out who they're buying for. It works the same whether the group meets in person or lives in different cities.
