The White Elephant Gift Exchange is a noble holiday practice steeped in tradition dating back to the days of Celtic monastic orders when monks would take a break from their somewhat depressing manuscript copying duties and gather in the main hall of the monastery to trade absurd gifts. Participating in the exchange was a way of fostering camaraderie, engendering general amusement, and preventing frostbite during the cold winter months (thick woolen socks with silly patterns were common gifts).*
One of the best parts about the White Elephant is finding a gift to contribute. Often White Elephant pilgrims who regularly practice the Exchange at Christmas time will search far and wide for months in advance, hoping to uncover the perfect gift. That being said, we recognize that not everyone is such a pilgrim, well-versed in White Elephant lore. As such, we hope that the following guidelines will guide you in your search:
- First things first: the gift should not be expensive. If you’re spending more than five dollars, you’re doing too much. Part of the purpose of this policy is to avoid the embarrassing circumstance of gifting someone a brand new iPhone, only to receive a can of chili and a roll of toilet paper in return. That will sour your mood fast. On the other hand, if you gifted a one dollar t-shirt covered in pictures of bears, then you can laugh at the chili/toilet paper combo.
- On the note of laughter, White Elephant gifts are supposed to be funny. Try to find something that makes you laugh (or at least chuckle a little). Kitten calendars, for instance, can be funny, particularly if the recipient does not like kittens. A ceramic mug in the shape of a pig could also be funny. With that and Rule One in mind, thrift shops and dollar stores are frequently rich sources of amusing but inexpensive articles.
- Keep it tasteful. I hope we need not elaborate excessively on this point. You might think something is funny...but remember that you’re bringing it to a church activity. If there’s a doubt in your mind about whether or not something is appropriate, the best policy is probably to find something else.
*As far as the author’s knowledge extends, nothing in this paragraph is factual
Summary: $5 Limit. Keep it Clean, Keep it Funny.
