A Yankee Swap Explained

Here is a post I made elsewhere and thought maybe some reader can use it in their life. Actually, I just wanted a copy of my own post. ;-) But hey! I am sharing with you if you are reading this post!

A Yankee Swap/Exchange is when you have a group and each person puts their name in a hat, bag, envelope and you pick someone else's name and get a present just for that person only. The person in charge makes sure you don't pick your own name though although some people like to buy for themselves.

The name you pick remains a secret. Sometimes there is a party for presentation and sometimes you just present the gift.

This is also can be know as a "Secret Santa" Yankee swap too. Some Secret Santa Swaps you leave little gifts secretly for a few days for the person you pick. They try to guess who their Secret Santa is.
You purchase or make your main gift, and on a designed day and time, make the presentation revealing yourself.

Another form of a Yankee swap, usually with a group, is you just bring a present at a set value all wrapped up. All gifts go on a main table. Some people just put their "from" name on a tag, most gifts though are "anonymous". Then each person picks a number for the order of picking a wrapped present. Some swaps require you do not tell what number you got, some people exchange order numbers.

Everyone sits down, a circle sitting arrangement is most ideal.

The first number goes to pick a present and opens it up so all can see.
The second person goes and picks a present BUT if he/she likes the first person's present better, they can "take it" and give them the one they picked to #1. This goes on, all numbers in counting order pick.

Depends on the group, but it can be that they just take the gift and give their wrapped gift so that #1 gets to open a second gift OR the gift is already opened before the swap so #1 knows what he or she is getting in exchange for it being taken.

Naturally if you are one of the last people, you can take from anyone who previously opened and swapped a gift. The last person to pick a present, usually ends up taking the best gift brought.

If you are thinking of organizing one, make sure the rules are in print and established within your group.
1. acceptable decent gifts -- something you would like to receive.
2. Price limit.
3. Whether "from" tags should be put on the gifts (safety and security reasons in some cases)
4. Limitation of taking a gift -- if the same "coffee pot" is taken three times, then it can no longer be taken away and stays with the last person who has it.
5. A "bonus" gift -- who ever picks that gift, it cannot be taken away. In other words, this gift is totally an unexpected and more expensive gift in the pile donated by the company. (EX: 2 tickets to the Superbowl, an exaggeration but you get the idea.)

I have even participated in a "bad gift Yankee swap", where you bring a gift you never used to recycle it with other participants. In other words, you are trying to get rid of something you have that is not being used or useless to you. Items do have to be in new condition, in original packaging though not used.

Another swap I participated in was one where you bring a yard sale find to pass off. Lots of laughs at that one.

Other terms used for this event "White Elephant", "Dirty Santa", "Gift War", "Grinch Exchange", "Rob Your Neighbor", "Thieving Santa", "Nasty Christmas", "Chinese Christmas","Bird in Hand", and "Cajun Christmas" swaps. "Play It Again Sam" is the children's version of a Yankee Swap. They all are basically the same thing but you bring things you wish to "regift" (slightly used, not used anymore, in very good to excellent condition).

In an episode of NBC's The Office, they had a Yankee Swap that Michael kept changing the rules. It was a natural disaster of course so it is best to have rules and stick to them.

All in all, it is a fun time around the holidays to participate in this sort of activity.