White elephant rules

The rules

This is a common version, with a gift frozen after three steals. If your group plays differently, agree the changes before anyone opens a gift.

Printable white elephant rulesOne page, with blanks for your house rules. PDF.

Watch a round

Here’s a round with five players. Step through it to see how stealing, freezing and the final swap play out.

Agree the house rules

Every group plays white elephant a little differently, and arguments usually start over a rule nobody mentioned. Settle these five before the first gift is opened, then print the card or paste it into the group chat.

Plan the swap

Most of the work happens before the party. You need to know who’s coming, which evening, and how much to spend.

1. Who's in

   Ask for a clear yes or no about a week before. You need the number to know how many gifts there'll be.

2. The date

   December evenings fill up fast. Give two or three weeks' notice and pick the night most of the group can make. Find the date with a free poll.

3. The price limit

   $20 to $30 is common. For a work party, $15 to $20 keeps it easy for everyone.

4. The numbers

   Write numbers on folded slips of paper and draw them from a bowl. Keep a spare gift in case someone turns up without one.

5. The time

   Allow about two minutes per player. With 20 or more, freeze gifts after two steals or the game drags.

6. Players joining by video

   Remote players can buy a gift online and show a picture of it on the call. Whoever ends up with it gets it in the post.

Good white elephant gifts

The gifts that get stolen most are the ones almost anyone would use. Aim for that, right at the price limit.

• Useful

  A good candle, a warm throw, a phone tripod, a nice water bottle.

• Funny and still useful

  A giant mug, a snack from another country, a novelty lamp.

• Gone by January

  Hot sauce, good chocolate, coffee beans, a cookie decorating kit.

• Leave at home

  Anything only one person would like, anything that needs explaining, and anything too rude for the office.

Other ways to play

Once your group knows the usual game, try one of these.

• With a die

  Everyone rolls a die on their turn instead of choosing. Agree first what each number means, for example 1 steals, 2 swaps left and 6 opens a new gift. More dice rules on Reddit.

• Open at the end

  Gifts stay wrapped the whole game, so you steal by the look of the paper and the size of the box. Everyone opens together at the end.

• Left, right story

  Someone reads a holiday story out loud. Every time the story says left or right, everyone passes the gift they're holding that way.

White elephant, Yankee swap or Dirty Santa

White elephant, Yankee swap and Dirty Santa are the same game with different names. Yankee swap groups tend to bring more useful gifts. Other names include Shifty Santa, Thieving Elves and Cutthroat Christmas.

Playing Secret Santa instead? How Secret Santa works.

Where the name comes from

In the royal courts of Southeast Asia, white elephants were sacred. Being given one was an honour, but it cost a fortune to feed, and you weren’t allowed to give it away or put it to work.

In English, a white elephant came to mean a gift that’s more trouble than it’s worth. There’s a story that a king of Siam gave them to courtiers he disliked, but there’s no record of it.

Questions

How many steals can you do in white elephant?

A gift is usually frozen after two or three steals. Agree the number before the first turn.

What is white elephant vs Dirty Santa?

The same game under another name. You open a gift or steal one, with the same limits.

What are the Dirty Santa rules?

The same as white elephant: you open a gift from the pile or steal an opened one. Agree the steal limit first.

Are Yankee swap rules different?

No. A Yankee swap is the same game, and the gifts tend to be more useful than funny.

What's the difference between white elephant and Secret Santa?

In Secret Santa you draw a name and buy for that person. In white elephant you buy for the pile, and gifts can be stolen. Draw Secret Santa names.

How much should you spend on a white elephant gift?

$20 to $30 is the usual range. At work, a lower limit is fairer.

Can you steal a gift back right away?

Not in the usual rules. Wait at least one turn before taking back a gift that was stolen from you.

Why does number 1 get a last swap?

Number 1 has nothing to steal on the first turn, and the last swap evens that out.

How do you make white elephant more fun?

Keep turns short, pick a theme for the gifts, and try the dice or the open-at-the-end version.

Can you play white elephant online?

Yes. Each player buys a gift online and shows a picture on the call. The gift ships to whoever ends up with it.

How many players do you need?

Six or more works best. With fewer, allow more steals, or play two rounds.