One of my most memorable Christmas experiences involved a White Elephant game with some of my classmates. Unfortunately, it was memorable in all the wrong ways, as I ended up with a pitiful present in the form of a single cup of noodles.
White Elephant is said to have originated in Thailand, after the historical practice of the gifting of albino elephants to those that displeased the king, according to Vaguely Interesting History. It has evolved into a game where each participant brings a present to contribute to a pool of presents, with each participant then taking a single present from the pile in turns. However, there is a twist to this game, as a participant can also choose to steal a present from someone else, forcing the victim to either get another present from the pile or possibly starting a cycle as they steal a present from someone else.
Gift-giving has always been an integral aspect of the holiday season as a means to express your love and affection to those around you. However, this aspect is lost when it becomes twisted into a game such as White Elephant, which involves a whole group participating in a gift-stealing game with no intended target for each gift. This type of environment simply makes the gifts less meaningful. Not to mention, the competitive nature of the game and likelihood of obtaining something undesirable could spoil the festive mood, as the game devolves into a competition as people try to gain the most for themselves instead of embodying the spirit of gifting others.
On the contrary, a game such as Secret Santa is much better suited for the holiday season. It involves people gifting something to a random person within a group while trying to keep their identity as the gift giver a secret. Unlike White Elephant, Secret Santa is a game that generates feelings of closeness and appreciation between a group of people, instead of a competitive, selfish feeling. It embodies the true spirit behind the long held tradition of gift giving: to show your appreciation to those you care about.
Also, since Secret Santa only requires a single gift per person, it allows for a less restrictive budget, meaning the gifts can be more extravagant, instead of cheap and disposable. Not to mention, it also forces the participants to learn more about their target in order to find the perfect present for them, possibly creating deeper friendships and understandings within a group.
Of course, while Secret Santa is not a replacement for the classic, no frills method of gift-giving, it’s a fun way to approach this tradition. So this holiday season, consider playing Secret Santa with your friends and bring on the festive cheer!