Interest Haiku #8: White Elephants

[flwyd]

White Elephants -
Unwrap the present
Awesome unusual gift
D'oh. Someone sniped it.

[This haiku is out of order because i just realized I should add the interest.]

In general, I'm opposed to socially-mandated gift-giving. Growing up in my house, I've had the everpresent awareness that I have far too much stuff. If I need something, I figure out a way to acquire it when I need it. If I don't need it much, I don't want my friends and loved ones to spend money on it. I've long since ceased making Christmas Wish Lists and I hope that by my not wanting any gifts, my friends won't be insulted if I don't get them anything. (I do occasionally give someone a gift out of the blue (like in July or something) if I find something I think they would absolutely love.)

However, there is one gift exchange method I adore. White Elephants. The rules of White Elephant are simple:

1. Everyone brings a wrapped present. Ideally it should be something they have about their house. Something that's interesting and possibly useful, but which they don't really have a use for.
2. When the event starts, count the number (N) of participants. Put N little slips of paper with a number from 1 through N on them into a hat. Be sure to distinguish between 6 and 9.
3. Everyone puts their wrapped gift in the middle of the circle of participants, then draws a number from the hat.
4. Let i = 1
5. The person who selected the number i selects a present and unwraps it, showing everyone (usually with surprise and confusion) what it is. (A person cannot select a present they brought.)
6. Let i = i+1
7. The person with number i may elect to take an already-unwrapped present from someone else.
   • If they do so, the person who just lost a gift follows step 5, then let i = i+1. (Optionally, the person who just got sniped can snipe someone else.)
   • If they don't, go to step 5.
8. Everyone giggles about their presents and goes about their regularly scheduled party business.

I think White Elephants are fantastic for several reasons.

• Everyone brings one gift and everyone gets one gift, and there's a good chance they end up with a gift they want.
• Nobody feels left out (unless they didn't bring a gift).
• If you're poor, you can take part in a very fun gift-giving event without spending any money.
• If you have too much stuff, you get at most one small bundle of additional stuff.
• It's anti-consumer. People are encouraged (or required) not to spend any money, recycling instead. (Usually if you can spend money, it's capped at $5 or so.) You get rid of something you don't need any more and may get something absolutely fascinating or useful.
• Everyone gets to have fun while everyone opens gifts, since there are usually some that are absolutely hilarious or unexpected.