White Elephant Gift Guidelines

Many annual Christmas parties, from Sunday School celebrations to office get-togethers, feature the good old tradition of the white elephant gift exchange. While the white elephant gift exchange can be a lot of fun and provoke much laughter, there are a few guidelines to follow in white elephant gift giving that will ensure that the fun is mutual for all participants.

1. Establish guidelines for your white elephant gift exchange in advance. The guidelines should be laid out ahead of time, and all participants should be notified. If invitations are to be sent, it would be wise to explain the white elephant gift giving procedure in detail. If there is a price limit on the white elephant gift, that should be announced and adhered to by all. It should be publicized whether silly or gag gifts are to be traded or if the white elephant gift giving should just be of nice used or second-hand items.

I have personally attended white elephant gift exchanges where people left disappointed or even grudgingly because they received a box of used homemade play dough or a chewed up doggy toy in exchange for their nice microwave oven or gently used cordless telephone. This disappointment can be avoided if guidelines are clearly announced.

2. Keep the exchanging simple. It's always a fun twist to play the good old white elephant gift game where the gift can be "stolen" two or three times from the original recipient, but you should only partake of this fun activity if all participants are mature enough to keep a good spirit. This does not generally end up being a pleasurable activity for a group of first-graders whose feelings get hurt easily. Then again, there is nothing more shameful than for a party to be spoiled because a 40-year old adult is pouting over getting his white elephant gift of aftershave taken away and then opening a toilet plunger instead.

3. Keep gifts appropriate for the targeted audience. While a white elephant gift of tampons might come across as funny in a group of buddies… it probably would not be appreciated at the church get-together or a party involving children.

4. Remember the purpose of the white elephant gift. It's all in the name of FUN, People! Don't get your drawers in a wad because you didn't receive any of the items on your list to Santa. The white elephant gift exchange is not for the purpose of bestowing worthy individuals with lavish rewards. It can be easily described as being a cheap way to exchange gifts at a party and still have fun even though all participants probably have a dozen other parties to go to or send their kids to, thereby increasing the gift shopping list from immediate relatives and close friends to a hundred people. Every smart giver discreetly donates a used trinket from his own personal white elephant gift stash every once in a while (like the Dollar Store prize that he received at last year's white elephant gift exchange). Don't get offended. Remember the "reason for the season," contribute a few good laughs yourself, … and just stash the junk in the basement until next year's white elephant gift exchange!