Tips for organizing a Yankee swap (white elephant gift exchange)

by Violet Fortune

No one wants a white elephant stampede, so limits must be placed on the who, what, where and when of a Yankee Swap! - Who Decide beforehand if children are allowed to play. Some Yankee Swaps are of the PG-13 variety....read more

by Suzanne Wesley - Babies Steward

What is a 'White Elephant', exactly? According to legend the kings of Siam used to give actual white elephants - yes, as in the animal - to visitors. The theory was that the upkeep of the animal was so expensive and time ...read more

by Pat Merewether

Organizing a Yankee Swap or White Elephant swap is fairly easy, but having a plan and making sure everyone knows how to play is important. The basic game is that participants bring a wrapped gift (sometimes with the gift ...read more

by Patricia Gilliam

When you organize a Yankee Swap or White Elephant gift exchange, there are several key things you want to remember. I believe the first thing is your overall focus-these gift exchanges are for the entertainment value of y...read more

by Carolina Dream Coy

A Yankee gift exchange can turn a long boring event into a fun filled celebration. Putting together a Yankee gift exchange is easy. There are a few things to consider in advance in order to make sure everything runs smo...read more

by Tonya Barton

We all know that the holidays are about the spirit of giving. So why not add a little humor to that spirit by organizing a Yankee swap? Gather up your friends, family and the less-than-desirable items you have lying arou...read more

by Stanley Teater

Maybe I've led a sheltered life but until a few years ago I had never even heard of Yankee Swaps. (Here in Texas they're usually called White Elephant Swaps.) Then one Christmas my mother and my mother-in-law both announce...read more

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by Mark A. O' Leary

I haven't received a gift in 5 years, not since my father, Ben, joined this idiotic cult who worship white elephants. I'm sick of it though, what makes white elephants so special? Sure they can perform in a minimal manner,...read more

by Adam Smith

A Yankee swap can be a fun and economically friendly way to celebrate the holidays with family, friends and co-workers. But there are somethings that everyone participating will need to know and become familiar with to max...read more

by Valerie Ashton

Every Christmas Eve in my family, we always have a White Elephant gift exchange. In our family we call it the White Elephant gift exchange, but lots of people know it as the Yankee Swap, Dirty Santa, Pirate Gift Exchange o...read more

by Sas Freeman

You may have participated in a game of Yankee swap or white elephant, but do you really know what goes into organizing this game. Honestly, it isn't all that difficult. First: You need a day when a bunch of friends ...read more

by Ted Sherman

One way to organize such an event in an office or other workplace, is to set it for the late afternoon (or end of shift) just before everyone leaves for the Christmas weekend. That way, if that's how everyone agrees to do ...read more