As the temperature decreases with every passing day and the never-ending grey clouds paint the sky with gloom, the holiday season is undoubtedly upon us. Although drinking hot cocoa with Elf playing in the background may be one of my favorite things to do, the best part of the holidays is community: being with family and friends and expressing gratitude. Whether it’s with your family, friends, peers or colleagues, gift exchanges and games are a fun and lighthearted way to emphasize gift-giving and camaraderie. Before scheduling your own gift-giving game, take a moment to contemplate which game will create a fun holiday tradition within your group.
White Elephant: At the mention of this game, my heart rate seems to rise, as I’ve never quite understood the rules despite the fun and sabotage-surrounded nature of the game. Every time I have been part of a White Elephant gift exchange, everyone has ended up either mad, disappointed or extremely joyful. White Elephant is one of those games that either goes well or not-so-well, typically dependent on your group dynamic. Still, I believe this game is creative, fun and most importantly, brings individuals together. In settings where your gift-giving group is more casual and doesn’t require personal gifts, White Elephant is the perfect option. White Elephant is playful, but if you’re looking fora more serious, thought-through gift, I prefer its more mature older sibling: Secret Santa.
Secret Santa typically revolves around the gift-giver picking a name, then curating a gift for them based on their wants or interests. Occasionally, your Secret Santa group will provide their wishlists, which, in my opinion, partially ruins the point of the game and instead makes it comparable to a gift exchange. The gifts received in Secret Santa are meaningful; you typically receive something you generally want. Although I do enjoy a Secret Santa, sometimes it can feel boring, especially when everyone knows who each other’s not-so-secret Santa is. The thought is nice — knowing someone picked out gifts specifically for your liking — but it feels less like a game than White Elephant.
So, what game should you pick for your approaching holiday event? In my opinion, it all depends on the people you are doing it with. If your group is closely knit and longstanding, Secret Santa is the perfect fit: it’s curated based on knowledge of your friends and relatively easy to organize. With a larger group, especially one where not everyone knows each other, white elephant couldn’t be a better choice; it combines gift giving and high-spirited fun. But in the end, there’s no wrong choice — it just depends on what best suits the people you’re celebrating with.
