Understanding Secret Santa and White Elephant Gift Exchanges: Guidelines for Holiday Participation
It’s that time of year again—holiday party season is here, and people are coming together to enjoy food, drinks, and the joy of gift-giving.
Gift exchanges are a fun and budget-friendly way to share presents among a group, meaning you don’t have to buy something for everyone.
A popular option is the white elephant gift exchange, which often encourages regifting or using inexpensive second-hand items. This can be especially valuable for shoppers facing financial strains from last year’s spending.
In addition to white elephant exchanges, smaller groups can engage in “Secret Santa” gift exchanges. Here’s what you need to know about these enjoyable holiday traditions and how to join in:
What is a ‘White Elephant’ Gift Exchange? How is it Different from a ‘Yankee Swap’ or ‘Dirty Santa’?
The white elephant gift exchange, often referred to as a “Yankee swap” or “dirty Santa,” varies based on regional names.
In these gift exchanges, everyone brings a wrapped gift to add to a communal pool, and then participants compete for the best present. Each variation may include different sets of rules.
The host usually specifies the types of gifts allowed and sets a maximum spending limit. When the event starts, attendees receive numbers through a random draw or by the organizer’s choice.
The participant with number “1” opens a gift publicly. Then, the “2” numbered participant either opens a new gift or can take the previously opened gift from participant “1,” forcing them to choose another gift. This continues in numerical order, allowing those towards the end more choices to pick from. Hosts may impose limits on how often a gift can be “stolen” or restrict the same person from being targeted too many times to keep things lively, following the White Elephant Rules.
Sometimes, the rules allow player No. 1 to choose from all available gifts at the end, but in other groups, they can feel at a disadvantage since they have fewer options to steal from.
Steps to Organize a ‘Secret Santa’ Swap
In a Secret Santa gift exchange, participants select one individual for whom they will buy a gift in advance. Everyone secretly draws a name from a pool of participants, which may include coworkers or relatives.
To maintain anonymity, participants can draw names from a hat, or they might use online tools such as Elfster, drawnames.com, or Secret Santa Hat for remote assignments.
Just like with the white elephant exchange, it’s essential for the organizers to establish rules regarding gift types and price limits.
