The holidays roll around. You have to buy tons of gifts for your family. Those ‘nice’ co-workers give you something, so now you have to give them something. The Starbucks people want more tips. Your hairdresser wants more tips. And you may need a new dress for that holiday party…
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So let me get this straight. On top of all the things I really DO need to buy, you want me to buy a “white elephant” gift that no one really wants so that I can exchange it for a gift that I don’t really want either with someone I don’t even know all that well???
I am all about Christmas, people. I bleed red and green. But I will never believe in a white elephant party–where you are forced to bring an inexpensive (read: $20 and under) albeit useless gift. According to Wikipedia, the term white elephant refers to a gift whose maintenance cost exceeds its usefulness.
Why do we do this to each other? Is there anyone out there really who wants to receive a pack of underwear from Target from someone you ‘kinda’ know? As if I don’t have enough other things to buy, like Christmas ornaments from the $1 section at Target (love it!) or, you know, like real gifts?
The point is–I know I can’t be on my own when I say “stop the insanity!” White elephant parties totally reek of American consumerism to the max. Come on, spending money–no matter how nominal–on something that no one is supposed to want?
So can we all please start getting rid of this tradition??? PLEASE–for the sake of all things jolly? How about we start a new tradition where your budget is $10 and you bring the most awesome thing you can think of, like a bottle of wine, a six-pack of beer, or 5 different liquor samples from Bevmo? (Hmm…all my suggestions are about alcohol…) Now that’s something I’d be willing to go to.
Your thoughts on white elephant gift parties? Yay or Nay?
20 comments
I go to these parties all the time. 95% of the time everyone is on the same page, and brings something people would want. There is sometimes that one person though, usually an older person, who bring some crap from home. I get that’s how the game used to be, but no one likes that. It just seems kind of mean to stick someone with useless junk. Why would you do that to someone?
For my family, we do It every year, but it has to be at least $50. It is usually gift cards or a nice bottle of alcohol.
I always view these parties as fun, as long as everyone is on the same page. Are the gifts supposed to be useful (2 tickets to the movie theatre) or the wackiest gift possible (a Santa toilet bowl cover)?
I hadn’t thought about how wasteful these parties are, though. In a work setting, I feel like there’s also pressure to spend more than the allotted amount. Maybe it’s time to change the tradition?
I’ll be the one who disagrees here and says that I actually don’t mind White Elephant parties, but maybe that’s because most of the ones I’ve been to don’t have stupid gifts. Yes, everyone is in the $15-$20 range, but for the most part, people buy things that are actually useful or something you would actually want. My husband’s family does this every year, and it’s always fun, and I usually get something nice, like a movie or new kitchen stuff or a gift card. However, if the gifts were stupid things I didn’t need (I hate clutter!) then I probably wouldn’t enjoy it as much.
Ughh… those. my family gets invited to one every year (and we’re not even christian). I like the idea of celebration/gatherings but such random gifting shows a certain lack of thought. Who wants a picture frame anyway?! Gonna skip this year’s party!
I agree. Our friends are doing one this year but they requested everyone buy inexpensive gifts that everyone WILL WANT. Since I work at a cooking supply store (Sur La Table), then I’m going to buy a few cute Christmas themed wine glasses. I think it’s pointless unless you are getting something actually useful.
Oh and my dad started drawing names from a hat for our family Christmas gifts on his side so everyone buys one other person a $20-25 gift and that’s it (except children of course). It’s a GREAT money saver!!
Totally agree. I always end up buying something I wouldn’t be upset if I got, and then almost always end up with the crappiest gift… Like a pillow with an embroidered Christmas Cat scene on it…… ugh. I usually end up “forgetting” my gift at the party so that I don’t feel like I have to find somewhere in my house to put it…….
AGREE AGREE AGREE!
I think a lot of people enjoy the game – but seriously, the new tradition should be have a party, and play “Drunken Elephant” where the limit is $10-$20, and everyone buys alcohol, wraps it, and then plays whatever version of White Elephant. THEN, everyone drinks the booze.
But, reading some of the comments, I like the ideas of a White Elephant ornament exchange.
I was looking evhreweyre and this popped up like nothing!
Omg I HATE white elephant! It always happens that I get the best present and someone steals it from me. You have to have a team that will work together so you can steal things from other people that you will want. It worked out for me and a group of friends before but other people were pissed off at us!
I really hate the whole concept of gift giving. It’s just too difficult to figure out what people like these days for a cheap price, no less! I do like the $10 max limit. That’s awesome.
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We do a holiday party gift swap at my work, but I know all my coworkers pretty well. We bring one gift that has to be either “re-gifted, or bought at a thrift store for under $10.” My co-workers bring the most hilarious things (like a bag of donuts from the best donut shop in Idaho, because they were traveling that way for work) or a huge stuffed moose head to mount on the wall (which sounds stupid, and it totally was, but it made us laugh the entire evening).
So I don’t like White Elephants just for the sake of it. But in some instances, work gifts swaps are pretty damn funny.
As an environmental list, I think we definitely need to be cutting back on the useless gifts! Don’t get me wrong, I love presents. I like giving them, I like getting them. But I don’t need anymore tchotchkes….
So, to the point, I am totally with you!
I like your idea for the party way better! We did that in an organization I was in during college and it was awesome. I got a whole martini set one year!
White Elephant parties are (more often than not) awkward and lame, I just don’t like them. It’s throwing money away basically.
I am, however, ALL about this alcohol swap you speak of 😉 Booze is one hell of a useful gift, especially during the holidays when you are dealing with being asked the same question by 37 different family members. BOTTOMS UP!
White Elephant parties are super popular where I live and I agree – if the only theme is “white elephant party,” then it’s pretty lame. However, a few that I’ve gone to have been pretty specific, like the presents have to be less than 10 dollars and involve sweets or less than five dollars and be an ornament. To me, those are a lot better.
I definitely agree that white elephant parties in the “official” definition of the term (useless gifts no one wants) are stupid. But I’ve been to some white elephant gift exchanges where people brought things that actually WERE cool and useful, and those are tons of fun. I think that it should always be an optional participation thing, though. If you don’t want to bring a gift, just know that you won’t be opening any, either. 😛
I agree! I don’t like White Elephant exchanges that are “bad gifts”…. last year a group of girlfriends and I did an Exchange where all the gifts had to be glittery somehow.. so we ended up with nail polishes, lip glosses, cute socks, even Goldschlagger! (hey, it has gold bits in it!). I have to go to a White Elephant party for my work next week and I’ve been wondering what to bring. Maybe I’ll be the rule breaker and bring something cool like wine, so at least then my $20 went to something someone would want!
I agree that white elephant gifts are lame, but I did hear a really fun idea for a white elephant Halloween party. Everyone brings a costume in a bag and puts it in the middle and then each person picks one and that’s the costume they wear for the rest of the night. It sounds like SO much fun!
We are going to a white elephant party next week. I thought the point was to find something junky you have at home that you can bring as a gift. Of course, whoever gets the gift won’t necessarily want it, so essentially it is the exchange of junk. But we don’t spend any money on it. We find something in our house, like this awfully ugly decoration that my great aunt gave us. I think the parties are kinda fun and full of laughter.
I’ve never been to a white elephant gift exchange where anyone spent even close to $20. The idea behind the gift is its entertainment value. You don’t have to spend money to create a gift that will get a few belly laughs. I believe these gift exchanges actually celebrate the complete opposite of consumerism. The gift can be something you put together from scraps at home and doesn’t have to cost an extra dime. I think they are good-natured parties that facilitate some good party laughs.
Agreed – Target underwear do make for a pretty lame white elephant gift.
Witty social commentary about consumerism and commericalism of the Christmas holiday aside, I like your idea better – take a relatively low amount of money and hold a contest to see who gets the most bang for their buck, and bring them into a group setting.
Heck, I’d like to see our society go back to the days leading up to the holidays as the “Advent,” and then celebrating the 12 days of Christmas partying and socially enjoying themselves like we used to. Get back to the spirit of Christmas, instead of the gifts involved.
If I must go to White Elephant parties, I take something that someone can use – usually socks or something like that. I don’t need more mindless useless pieces of plastic in my life.