What is the difference between a White Elephant and a Yankee Swap?

White Elephant is a gift exchange game that is very similar in style to Yankee Swap, although the emphasis is to “steal” gifts rather than swap them.

Is Yankee Swap and White Elephant the same?

White elephant gift exchanges, also known as Yankee swaps or, somewhat creepily, “dirty Santa” games, are a fun alternative to the old office staple “secret Santa.” Like secret Santa, everyone brings one gift and takes one home. But a Yankee swap adds the opportunity for fun, intrigue and cutthroat competition.

Why do they call it a Yankee Swap?

Yankee Swap is more popular in New England and is a reference to the swapping of prisoners of war during the American Civil War. Some claim that generals made a game out of these swaps, and they even assigned different values to each prisoner, kind of like a brute barter system.

What is the rule of Yankee Swap?

The basic rules of Yankee Swap begin just like White Elephant: Everyone is assigned a number at random, then the first player chooses a gift and opens it. The next player chooses their gift, then either opens it or swaps it for a previous player's unwrapped gift.

What is a Yankee gift?

According to SecretSanta.com...these are the rules:

In Yankee Swap each participant brings a wrapped, unmarked gift and places it in a designated area. Guests are given numbers as they arrive, or their names are randomly drawn, and they select and unwrap gifts from the pile in that order — with a twist.

White Elephant, Dirty Santa, Yankee Swap EXPLAINED

What number is best for Yankee Swap?

The higher your number, the better, because you'll have more unwrapped gifts to consider (but more on that later). Number 1, however is best, because that person gets the final pick at the end. The Yankee Swap begins with Player 1 choosing a wrapped gift from the table.

What are names for Yankee Swap?

A White Elephant gift exchange is also known as a Yankee swap or a Dirty Santa gift exchange. It's a party game where amusing and impractical gifts are exchanged. The goal of a White Elephant gift exchange is to entertain participants rather than to gain something valuable or highly sought-after.

Why is Yankee Swap called White Elephant?

The game derives its name from the term white elephant as defined by something of dubious or limited value or an object no longer of value to its owner but of value to others. Thus, in its basic form the game calls for people to bring “gag” gifts or gifts they received that they have no use for.

Do you wrap presents for Yankee Swap?

In Yankee Swap, each participant brings a wrapped, unmarked gift and places it in a designated area. Guests are given numbers as they arrive, or their names are randomly drawn, and they select and unwrap gifts from the pile in that order — with a twist.

What is the Yankees beard rule?

Can Yankees players have facial hair? Contrary to popular belief, the Bronx crew can grow out facial hair. They can't, however, rock beards. Steinbrenner made players shave any excess whiskers, giving Yankees a simple choice: either sport a cleanly shaved mustache, or no facial hair at all.

Is Dirty Santa the same as white elephant?

A White Elephant Gift Exchange is a popular Christmas event where people vie to walk away with the best present. It also goes by Yankee Swap, Dirty Santa, and a plethora of other names.

What is the opposite of a white elephant gift exchange?

Secret Santa involves the same kind of mystery as a white elephant exchange, but each person in the group is assigned and aware of a designated person they'll be gifting to. However, you're not allowed to reveal whose Secret Santa you are until it's time to open the gifts.

Is Yankee Swap a real thing?

A Yankee Swap—also known as White Elephant—is a gift exchange game whereby participants get to open a present, then choose whether they wish to keep it or swap for someone else's gift. The process is made even more interesting by the presence of unconventional or silly gifts in the mix.

What are the rules of a white elephant party?

The White Elephant Game Rules

Bring a wrapped, anonymous gift to the shindig. Draw numbers to determine who gets to unwrap a present when. Sit in a circle and place the gifts in the center, preferably under a festive tree. The person who drew #1 selects a gift from the pile, opens it, and holds it up for all to see.

What is a Kris Kringle gift exchange?

A group of people choose each others names randomly without telling who they got. Each person buys the person they picked a gift, and likewise the person who picked their name buys them a gift. The gifts are exchanged on an agreed upon date for the whole group, and everyone's Secret Santa / Kris Kringle is revealed.

How do you play white elephant?

How do you make a Yankee Swap fun?

How do you spice up a Yankee Swap?

Do you open gifts during white elephant?

White elephant is a gift exchange, so each person must bring one wrapped present to the Christmas party. Once everyone is assembled, have each person draw a number. The person with number "one" chooses a present to unwrap.

What does a white elephant mean literally?

1 : a property requiring much care and expense and yielding little profit. 2 : an object no longer of value to its owner but of value to others. 3 : something of little or no value.

What is the true meaning of white elephant?

A white elephant is a burdensome asset, property, or investment whose cost of upkeep is not in line with its usefulness or value. The term derives from the old Thai custom of gifting rare, expensive-to-keep white elephants to the reigning monarch. Nowadays it is often associated with unprofitable real estate.

How do you play Dirty Santa at Christmas?

The Yankee Swap – Also known as Dirty Santa or White Elephant, this one brings out the Grinch in everyone. Each player brings a gift within a set price limit that every other player would enjoy. Participants take turns either selecting a gift or stealing one from a player who has already chosen one.

Why are there two number 8 retired for the Yankees?

8 is retired twice – for Yogi Berra and Bill Dickey. Both players are in the Hall of Fame. Both were arguably the greatest catchers of their era. Both were key players on the greatest dynastic Yankee teams of all time.

How do you rig a white elephant gift exchange?

As each gift is opened, mentally assign it a value (perhaps a dollar value or a 1-to-5 ranking); When it's your turn, average the value of all the opened gifts (whether or not they're available for stealing); If there is a stealable gift “worth” at least as much as the average, steal it! Otherwise, open a gift.

What is the 16 on the sleeve of the Yankees?

Whitey Ford's number 16 was retired by the New York Yankees in 1974. Ford won 236 games for the New York Yankees (career 236–106), still a franchise record.