Do Not Challenge My Elephant!

You Will Lose.  Badly.

I wish we could have Christmas 3 or 4 times a year.

Not for the presents on Christmas morning or holiday food.  I just want to play the White Elephant Gift Game more often.

Every year I meet up with friends the night of Xmas and we do the White Elephant Gift Exchange.  Everyone supplies one wrapped gift, approximate value of $20 or so, and we pile them on a table.

Numbers are drawn, and people pick a gift in order.  When your number comes up, you can either unwrap a new gift, or steal an unwrapped gift from someone who has gone earlier.

There are limits on how many times a gift can be swapped in each round, and there's plenty of backstabbing and deal making.  (It helps that the wine & eggnog are flowing freely!)

With 15-20 people playing, it gets to be quite a circus.  It's one of my favorite holiday traditions.

The White Elephant part deals with the fact that the gifts are usually something completely out of left field.  Something you really don't want to take home.  Things that are so ugly, they're cute.  Things that are tacky or kitschy? In marginally poor taste?  Even better!

Most years, I bring gifts that have a high gift-theft value.  They're beyond unique.  Most times, I can stick with a poultry theme and do great.  Last year's plush chicken hat was a big hit.

Some years, I strike out.  A few years back I found a new-in-box Ronco Pocket Fisherman that I thought would get a lot of laughs, but it went to some old lady who got kinda pissed about it.  Oh, well.

This year?  Oh, this year I've got it nailed. No pun intended.

Check this out:

A plastic copy of Michelangelo's 'Pieta'!

But look, it gets better!  See what's attached??

Oh, yes, my little blog squirrels!  It's beyond tacky!  It's a LAMP!!

I've got this one SO sewed up, it's not even funny...

Can't hardly wait!!