How to play the White Elephant gift exchange game this holiday season

Erin Couch, Cincinnati Enquirer
·2 min read

It's a holiday party game that tears families and friends apart: the White Elephant gift exchange.

Perhaps you call it Dirty Santa or some other wacky name, but it's one in the same. The premise is to bring a wrapped gift to a party. People then choose a wrapped present or they can steal a gift from someone else if another player's item looks more enticing.

Here's what to know about White Elephant gift swaps and how to play the game.

What is a White Elephant gift exchange?

White Elephant is a party game in which players bring wrapped gifts at a set price, such as $20. From there, they draw numbers and pick the gifts out one by one from the pile. They also have the option to steal.

The catch is you won't know what is in your package until after you pick it out. Some people might bring nice presents, while jokesters may put far less valuable gifts in their boxes.

How do you play White Elephant?

Here are the rules to White Elephant, according to USA TODAY:

  • Count your players and write numbers on cards. Draw the cards out of a hat to determine the order.

  • Set a limit for the number of times a gift can be stolen.

  • One by one, each player will pick a gift. Players can select to steal someone's gift or pick a new one from the pile. If you get a new present, you must open it so you know what it is.

  • Players keep their final gifts, whether they like them or not. However, the person who started the game still gets the choice to swap with someone at the end.

What are the origins of the White Elephant gift exchange?

The term originates from Siam, now Thailand. White elephants were considered so sacred they couldn't be worked, but still required lots of food and housing resources, according to Goodwill.

In the early 1900s, the White Elephant giving game emerged at so-called "swap parties," as players would bring strange gifts to exchange.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: How do you play the White Elephant Christmas game? What to know