Yes, it's that time of year again! Here at Genealogy.SE, we have the option to celebrate this time of the year with a unique, age-old Stack Exchange tradition: hats!

By completing certain tasks, Stack Exchange users earn virtual hats (new and redesigned for 2016!) for their gravatars to wear that will last the holiday season (19 December 2016 - 8 January 2017). We will be able to see all the hats we've earned on <http://winterbash2016.stackexchange.com>. Here's a screen shot from last year's leaderboard:

[![enter image description here](https://i.stack.imgur.com/pMhTw.jpg)](https://i.stack.imgur.com/pMhTw.jpg)

Check that page for the FAQ after Winter Bash starts for an explanation of how things work -- right now it's a countdown.

This year the default is that everyone gets hats unless we mods send in a Grinch form in order to NOT have hats. If you hate hats (*gasp*), you can simply click the `I hate hats` button and make all the hats invisible to you. 

But no matter whether you like hats or hate them, **we still want to hear your opinion.** Let us know by 12 December 2016, or be prepared to press that `I hate hats` button.

At the end of the event, all hats will go back into storage.

Do you want to participate in the Winter Bash here at Genealogy.SE? Leave your thoughts below and a few cookies and milk for the mods!

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For previous years see: 

* [Do we want Hats?](https://genealogy.meta.stackexchange.com/q/1314/1006) (2012)
* [Do you want hats?](https://genealogy.meta.stackexchange.com/q/1778/1006) (2013)
* [Do you want hats? 2014 Winter Bash](https://genealogy.meta.stackexchange.com/q/1929/1006)
* [Do we want hats? Announcing the 2015 Winter Bash!](https://genealogy.meta.stackexchange.com/q/2105/1006)

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As of 7:04 PM Pacific on 31 Dec 2016, 

> 
> 45 users from this site have earned a total of 115 hats!
> 
> 
> 

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Here's [the results to this year's Winter Bash](http://stackoverflow.blog/2017/01/say-farewell-to-winter-bash-2016/)