Here we go again!
Welcome to Canyon Christmas 2026, much the same as the previous Canyon Christmases, you should all know the drill by now.
But if you don't, or want a quick recap: Canyon Christmas is an Our Flag Means Death Holiday Fanworks exchange where you create a surprise gift for another member of the fandom based around prompts they have submitted, most commonly fic or art, in return you receive a gift from another member of the fandom and we all share joy and love.
I had initially planned on letting this event run itself with a pick a prompt, leave a prompt kind of thing but I think it would be wise to act as a guiding hand. That being said, I might end up being a rather hands off hand. Last year I threatened to assign matches randomly and then did not do this, this year I'm threatening that again and may actually have to. Obviously, you'll be able to say what you absolutely won't create and I will respect this but I think it is far more important for the people receiving the gifts to get what they want rather than having the creators make something that perfectly aligns to all their interests. So hopefully you can all give a little and gain a lot. If I can find the time to get the pairings perfect I will but I can't promise anything.
Similarly, I'll send your matches off and then let you do your own thing, obviously I'll always be on the end of a DM but I won't be asking for check ins and sending follow ups, I trust you all as pirates to follow through on the commitment.
As with previous years there’s only really one rule,
don’t be a dick. This means that by signing up you agree to create a fanwork that matches the prompts sent to you and that you’ll have shared this work, in full, by the end of the posting period, either on ao3 or Bluesky or both. In return you’ll get a gift of your own that you will love and cherish and say thank you for!
I'm setting a loose word count of 1000 words for written gifts, obviously you can go far bigger, and if you create something perfect and smaller that is fine too. As long as you’re proud of what you produce, and would be happy to receive it as a gift, you’re golden.
Of course, I understand that sometimes life gets in the way, so come chat to me if you suddenly can’t make the deadline or have any other questions.
Key Dates and Links
My Bluesky
The AO3 collection
Key Dates:
Sign Ups Open: Friday 9th October
Sign Ups Close: Wednesday 21st October
Matches Sent by: 16th November
Posting Period: 20th December - 3rd January.
All clear? (and if it’s not you know where to find me!)
