Planning a White Elephant gift exchange at your Christmas party but not sure how to play the game? Well, the White Elephant is a fun holiday tradition that promises laughter and chaos. Also known as Dirty Santa or Yankee Swap, the game goes by the tradition of exchanging hilarious gifts for some happy chaos. It is a celebration where everyone leaves the party with a gift that could be a stupid gag to laugh at or a surprisingly useful yet funny find.
Whether you are a first-timer at the gift exchange party or a pro at swapping (read: stealing) gifts, here are the official White Elephant rules along with some popular variations so you can enjoy the game rather than being clueless and getting robbed of the best gift on the pile. Don’t forget to have fun amidst the chaos while making sure everyone sticks to the rules for a fair game. Let’s get started.
White Elephant Gift Exchange Rules: A Guide to a Fun Game at Your Christmas Party
To begin, the party organizer, say you, will set out the group and the budget. Gather your cousins, friends, or colleagues for a fun White Elephant gift exchange party. The more, the merrier – so make sure you have a big group of people who love having a hilarious and chaotic celebration over a lowkey one. Then, you have to decide the price range in which the group is supposed to bring the White Elephant gifts. Inform your participants whether your budget is for some dollar-store trinkets or some luxe presents.
Now that y’all are done with the pre-planning, the game begins with the following rules:
1) Buy the Gift
Each player has to come with a wrapped gift depending on the budget you gave them. It is fun to keep the gifts a secret so ideally everyone should zip their lips on what they got and simply place their present in the common pool of gifts. The pile of mystery should be visible to all, so let everyone sit in a circle or a queue.
2) Draw the Numbers
Again, for a fair deal, let all the players pick a chit from a fishbowl of numbers. These numbers will determine the order in which they will pick or steal the gifts. Let the participants draw these numbers from a big glass bowl or an old-school hat to keep the legacy alive.
3) Player #1 Starts
The player with the number #1 on their chit (let’s call him Tom) will begin the game. Tom randomly selects a gift from the pile and opens it so everyone can see it. This is where the fun begins! As Tom unwraps the gift, it will be a hilarious embarrassment if it is something unusually funny. At this point, Tom cannot steal or swap the gift since the game has just begun; he has to wait for his turn.
4) The Next Player Decides
Now, the ball is in the next player’s court. The player with chit labeled #2 (let’s call him Jerry) gets to choose whether he wants to steal Tom’s gift or pick a new gift from the pool. Here, the catch is that a gift can only be stolen once per turn. So, if Jerry decides to steal Tom’s gift, then Tom has to wait for his turn to get the stolen gift back, or he can pick a new one from the pile.
5) Three Steals and It’s Locked
If a gift is stolen three times, it gets untouchable! This means that after three swaps, the stealing comes to an end and the gift remains with the one who held it last. The game continues with each subsequent player stealing or picking a new gift. Players with number #3, #4 and so on will either steal an already unwrapped present or choose a new one from the pile if theirs is stolen.
- The Final Twist
Remember Tom had to wait for his turn to steal a gift? Yes, this is his chance. Once the last player is done with their turn, Tom now gets a chance to choose from all the opened gifts. If Tom steals a gift from someone, the chain continues and the fun keeps on trading! Here, the ‘three steals’ rule doesn’t apply. Players can keep swapping until they are satisfied with their gift. However, if a player declines to steal a gift further, the games ends there since there are no eligible people to steal from.
White Elephant Gift Exchange – Popular Variations
Now, there are some fun and creative twists to these set of rules depending on how the players want to tweak the game. Here are some popular variations to the classic White Elephant gift exchange game that have been commonly used in parties:
1) Three Swaps, the Gift is Yours
If your gift gets stolen thrice during the game, then you are out! On the contrary, you are safe and the gift remains with you. No one can steal your gift any further. BUT! Now, you need to keep the gift you have whether you like it or not.
2) Three Swaps, the Gift is Out
If a particular gift is stolen thrice during the game, it is out of the Yankee Swap. The person who last stole the gift needs to walk away with it. Beware of your stealing strategy with this twist because you might end up with a gift you never wanted. Be smart, not greedy!
3) No Extra Swapping
Some variations DO NOT allow the first player (remember Tom?) to swap their gift more than once. No additional turns are allowed to Tom for stealing or swapping with other players.
Wrapping Up the Chaos!
So here you have it – the ultimate guide to mastering White Elephant gift exchange rules with popular variations. Whether you’re aiming to walk away with the ‘most wanted’ gift or just trying to avoid ending up with that useless toy or sock, this game guarantees laughs, drama, and plenty of hilarious moments. Remember, it’s not just about the gifts—it’s about the sheer joy of watching your co-worker fight over a candle they’ll probably re-gift.
So, grab your quirkiest presents and prepare for a some great steals, swaps, and strategies. Game on, and may your White Elephant bring you nothing but laughs and holiday cheer!