<p>I think it’s odd to describe a game as stealing or mean-spirited. It’s a game, for goodness sake. The only time this gets uncomfortable is when people forget it’s a game and instead get “attached” to their gift. It’s sad to see an adult clutching an item as if they are a child with a toy. It’s petty.</p>
<p>Focus on the time with friends and family. Focus on making it fun. Focus on laughing and not taking yourself so seriously. </p>
<p>If all else fails, just remind yourself that it is a game, nothing more.</p>
<p>I went to an office party today that had a Yankee Swap. A few “hurt feelings,” but more fun than not. Certainly more fun than just getting a random gift, opening it, and leaving with it. That’s boring.</p>
<p>we started this white elephant exchange in my family a few years ago. there is always something that everyone wants–or doesn’t want! it is not mean-spirited. </p>
<p>i have a strange pair of zebra leggings with sparkles all over them. i bought them just for the white elephant exchange. keep in mind, that in the bottom of that bag, i have enclosed a really great silver pearl bracelet…hopefully they will laugh about the tights and then really want the bracelet…</p>
<p>i think i would be a bit surprised by the event if i wasn’t prepared for it…all’s fair in love and white elephant gift exchanges.</p>
<p>What a riot! When I just now read this old thread it made me laugh, because I wrote, two years ago, that we play this game at work at the holidays, and, of all things, we just did it again last night at our party. It’s so funny that this thread got resurrected today.</p>
<p>For me, it depends on how close the folks at the party are. I went to one party where the hosts buy presents for EVERYONE (all smallish gifts) & they are all subject to being taken by someone with a higher number. If the gift is taken, you can select a new one from the tree or take someone else’s gift. There was no limit on the number of swaps so it was amusing to watch everyone stealing the stuffed animal that one girl wanted. Ultimately, her BF stole it for her & she ended up with it.</p>
<p>I can see how feelings can be hurt when some feel that the gift they purchased is unpopular while others are more popular. Food always seems to be safe & I often bring that for exchanges.</p>
<p>I’ve also participated in “white elephant” exchanges that went very well. Some folks just LOVE the white elephants of others.</p>
<p>I missed this thread the first time around, so I’m entertained to read it. My first few years at my office we “drew names” and that was awful; you’d have to buy a gift for someone you barely knew.</p>
<p>Now we play Nasty Santa at work but we call it Evil Santa instead out of deference to a long-gone boss who, at his previous workplace, had played the game but thought you were supposed to buy “nasty” gifts for a Nasty Santa gift exchange, bought something too racy from Spencer Gifts, and was really embarrassed. We wanted to make sure this didn’t ever happen to anyone. </p>
<p>The “gifts” are maybe $2 to $12 gifts, mostly worth $3 to $5 (candy, candles, toys, mugs), and many are re-gifts or leftovers; we have good laughs with it. No one knows who brought what so if no one likes the gift you brought, you wouldn’t have hurt feelings. It is the most entertaining event of the year at my office, where we are generally not a particularly lively crew. (Several people wear pocket protectors without a touch of irony.)</p>
<p>I remember one year a friend brought a white ceramic cow-shaped planter? or some sort of container? that was meant to be hung on the wall; his wife had gotten it somewhere and they both thought it was unimaginably awful. Someone stole it from the person who opened it - they thought it was great. This is the sort of occurrence that makes Nasty Santa so much fun. </p>
<p>When my kids were little, they loved Nasty Santa day; they knew there was a good chance I’d come home with a goofy new toy. </p>
<p>I got a set of five candle holders this year and I like them very much. :o</p>
<p>Funny that this thread was resurrected after 2 years. Our womens investment group had our holiday dinner/gift swap last week. I drew number 1, which meant I got to steal the last gift. This year all the gifts were great (no clunkers) and several got stolen several times. I had the cool sock stolen from me last year, but this year I got to steal a pack of <em>2</em> cute socks from someone, so all is balanced in the universe.</p>
<p>We play the game at our work party every year. It is the highlight of the night. Our party was last night.</p>
<p>There are only women there and we usually end up dissolved in laughter.
At our party, everyone has to bring a Christmas ornament for the swap.
Every year there is inevitably one ornament that cracks us all up.<br>
Last night it was an ornament with a frog wearing a hula skirt with skinny frog legs dangling from beneath the skirt. When you pulled a string the frog’s legs shot straight up from under the skirt. The woman who got the frog is one of the oldest employees. She’s in her sixties but acts even older. When she pulled the frogs string, her mouth fell open and we all convulsed with laughter.
We love the ornament swap. Last night, I was lucky #1.</p>