Also: Yankee Swap Gift Ideas & Rules
Are you invited to participate in 2024 Yankee Swap? Are you organizing the Christmas party? Whether you are the organizer or just a participant, you are in for a great night of fun, laughter and gift exchange. This is the party that can turn into one of the most exciting gatherings, if done well. We have all the information, rules and gift ideas here so you can get started.
What is Yankee Swap Anyway?
Yankee Swap refers to a yearly tradition of exchanging funny, unwanted or hilariously inappropriate presents around Christmas time. Although it’s pretty much another name for a White Elephant Gift Exchange, some argue that the term itself: “Yankee Swap” comes from the civil war era in the United States.
According to legend, the Union solders or “Yankees” and the Confederates at some point swapped prisoners as a sort of game to lighten up the atmosphere, so the term “Yankee Swap” was born.
Nowadays it’s nothing more than a holiday present exchange, but it could not be any more fun!
What is Yankee Swap Party?
Yankee Swap Party is a fun, joyful present exchange organized year round around Christmas time. At work, office, friends and family gatherings this cheeky laugh inducing game can turn into an evening of joyful rivalry as participants play to snatch the best gift on the lot. Often there are more than a few players involved, more the better, but with growing numbers the game may stretch too long. The larger the group, the longer the game lasts.
All around point of the games is to mark another great day for 2024 and while it’s fun to compete for gifts, it’s even more fun to laugh at friends that end up with ridiculous useless presents.
Basic game play is straight forward: All the participants are asked to bring a single well wrapped gift. If you can wrap the gift deceitfully, even better. By the way, if you’re currently looking for gift ideas, you can pick a gift from our Yankee Swap Gifts page.
Each party participant is assigned their number. First player selects a gift and unwraps it. The next person gets to open another wrapped gift or take one from someone who already got theirs (Steal it). In the end the remaining final player will either pick the last gift or steal from someone and the stealing will continue until there are no more unopened presents.
Get and Set The Rules Straight
In order to run a great Yanke Swap, you will need to set and follow the rules. The basic flow is simple and there are many exciting variations to follow. You should decide which rules to apply to the game for your specific group. The key is to communicate the rules, minimum and maximum gift price and theme very clearly to the players, to avoid any confusion and keep the party running smoothly. By establishing a set of instructions to follow, you will ensure that these horrendous yet hilarious gifts are awarded or fought for.
