The elusive White Elephant Man

A couple of weeks ago Megan and I hosted a "White Elephant" party. All participants bring their gift to "the pile." Gifts are wrapped, but are not labeled. Gifts are inexpensive, humorous items, that should ultimately be pretty useless. All participants draw a number. The participant with #1 unwraps any gift from the pile and then shows it to everyone. Each successive participant, in the order determined from the drawing, can either 1) "steal" an already opened gift (if there's one they really like) or 2) be adventurous and go for a wrapped gift from the pile. If the participant chooses to steal, the person whose gift is stolen now repeats their turn and either 1) steals another person's gift or 2) unwraps a new gift.

Since items can be stolen, the item in your possession is not yours until the game is over (i.e. a food item cannot be eaten until the game is over). However, this is often amended with a rule declaring a gift "dead" or "safe" after it has been stolen a certain number of times (usually two or three). This helps the process go more smoothly (avoiding, for example, the hypothetical scenario of the same gift being stolen by every successive participant) and limits the disadvantage of being among the first to choose gifts.This was our second "White Elephant" party, and last year the gift that stood out above all others, was a lone can of Celery Soda. The gift that was never stolen. What should appear again this year? that same can of Celery Soda. Oh how the Gods have smiled down on our festivus. I really couldn't have asked for a better Christmas.

Now let's see if 08 can live up to it.