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Last year, after being invited to a white elephant gift exchange, I fully embraced the challenge. It seemed the company I worked for was sending us on a Safari! I couldn't have been more thrilled.

Eager to get a head-start on my coworkers, I packed up my belongings, overdosed one of my credit cards, and headed off to Thailand. I was told that's where the white elephant originated. My flight landed and I wasted little time. Despite the allure of Thailand's many wondrous possibilities, I was on a mission for a white elephant.

With the help of a tracker, I captured that albino albatross in just two days. After finally getting it caged and ready for transport back to the states, I hurried off to the airport with my achievement.

"What?" ... "How much?".

With a sigh of disgust I handed the customs agent the only other credit card I owned, and he handed me a large stack of papers I tediously filled out, then waited until I heard the overhead announcement for my flight. Three fatiguing hours later, we were finally on our way.

"Oh boy" I thought with worry. "I sure hope the white elephant I trade for mine is just as marvelous." ...

All joking aside, for those of you who don't know what a white elephant gift exchange [also known as a Yankee swap] is or how to play it, allow me to sum it for you. A "white elephant" is not something you need to hunt down. Rather, it's an item you already have stashed away somewhere. It's in a junk drawer, a cluttered closet, or any other place in the house you might keep that much-too-gaudy to display "thing". That item that is better off, out of sight out of mind.

Now is your chance to finally get rid of it. Box it up, wrap it, and pawn it off on the next poor fool at the white elephant exchange you've been invited to.

The down side is, you'll probably be replacing it with something just as undesirable. After-all, each guest at the party brings other unwanted or abominable items you're in line to receive.

Once all of the participating guests have arrived, let the swapping begin ...

THE GAME:

1. Each participating guest must contribute a gift. The more horrific the better!

2. Prepare slips of paper numbering them equal to the number of gifts available. Be careful to characterize 6 from 9 and 1 from 7 so the guest picks the correct package.

3. Each participating guest draws a number, and keeps it in their possession.

4. On the first turn, the guest that drew #1 chooses a gift and opens it. Everyone laughs.

5. On the second turn, the guest that drew #2 has the choice of choosing a wrapped gift or "stealing" any unwrapped gift (#1's). If #2 steals #1's gift, then #1 must open another wrapped gift.

6. On the third turn, the guest who has #3 gets the same choices. They can "steal" any unwrapped gift (#1's or #2's) or choose a wrapped one.

As the "white elephants" are let out of their cages, the game continues as such ...

1. If a gift is stolen from you, you can steal another gift or open a wrapped one. However, A gift cannot be immediately stolen back from the guest who just stole it.

2. Each turn proceeds until a wrapped gift is chosen.

3. The fourth owner of a gift keeps it. The gift is "dead" after it has been stolen three times.

5. Owners of a "live" gift must keep them visible.

The white elephant gift exchange is over when the last wrapped gift has been opened. Typically, guests are nudged to steal gifts as long as there are "live" gifts available. However, they are not required to do so.

Now if you'll excuse me, I have a white elephant I must return to Thailand.

Learn more about this author, Tonya Barton.
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