Many people participate in Secret Santa gift exchanges. But others like to take things a step further and plan a White Elephant swap.
In case you aren’t familiar, White Elephant (aka Yankee Swap aka Dirty Santa) is a game in which everyone brings a wrapped present, places it in a pile and draws a number to determine the order in which the participants will select gifts to unwrap. As the game progresses, people have the option to unwrap a new gift or “steal” a previously opened present.
The game can get pretty heated (especially if it’s 2005 and there’s an iPod involved), so naturally it offers a lot of opportunities for Twitter humor. We’ve rounded up 30 funny tweets about White Elephant/Yankee Swap/Dirty Santa. Enjoy!
A white elephant gift exchange is a great way to secretly resent someone for swiping the dollar store bath bomb you didn't think you wanted until you were stuck with the dollar store candle.
— Stephanie Ortiz (@Six_Pack_Mom) December 24, 2018
Teen came home wearing a fluorescent alligator around her neck she won from a white elephant exchange. She's shocked no one else wanted it.
— Jessica Watson (@JessBWatson) December 13, 2011
Whether you call it the Dirty Santa game, call it the White Elephant exchange or call it Yankee Swap, I will call to cancel my attendance.
— Emily Volman (@emilyvolman) December 21, 2014
White elephant gift ideas: fuzzy toilet seat cover, half-eaten box of risotto, other stuff you have lying around...
— Abbi Crutchfield (@curlycomedy) December 6, 2012
An easy, festive way to dump someone at the holidays is box up all their stuff and stick it in the pile at a White Elephant gift exchange.
— Elizabeth Hackett (@LizHackett) October 30, 2014
Just hear me out: paycheck Yankee swap.
— Pickles (@plee_mcc) July 8, 2011
You don't know hysteria until you've played Dirty Santa with 10 girls under 13 and a One Direction toothbrush gets in the game.
— Robin O'Bryant (@robinobryant) December 26, 2012
Every time I play White Elephant, I always say I’m not gonna get too intense. But 10 minutes in, I’m already yelling at people I’ve never met. Then by the end, I’m chasing Nikita down the block, in the pouring rain, for a pair of sunglasses. I need help.
— Rachel Ballinger (@MissRBaller) December 7, 2019
I wonder if my parents' dreams for my future included making things awkward by bringing a sex book to the neighborhood white elephant party.
— Amy Dillon (@amydillon) February 7, 2015
I think that White Elephant gift exchanges are a conspiracy started by Goodwill to rotate stock from store to store. But it sure is fun.
— The Captain (@acjlist) December 12, 2015
went to a white elephant where i thought people would do joke gifts... let’s just say everyone walked away w/ waffle makers or emulsion blenders & one guy—from a gifter who won’t be named & definitely isn’t me—walked away with kathie lee gifford’s unauthorized biography from 1992
— Jill Gutowitz (@jillboard) December 22, 2019
White elephant in the room = Putting a baby in the gift exchange.
— Aparna Nancherla (@aparnapkin) December 25, 2011
#tbt When you get the best gift in a white elephant gift exchange. https://t.co/aROfx8rQRQ
— Sinema (@serdargoknur) January 10, 2016
I won handmade soap in the Dirty Santa game at my husband’s office party & TWO different ppl said, “That’s perfect for you!” Soooo, I smell.
— Emily Volman (@emilyvolman) December 9, 2012
OOH WHITE ELEPHANT
— NOT A WOLF (@SICKOFWOLVES) December 24, 2018
THIS IS FUN
WE ALL BUY A BAD GIFT ON PURPOSE
THEN STEAL THE BAD GIFTS FROM EACH OTHER
THEN DISPOSE OF THE BAD GIFTS
MOST OF OUR ANCESTORS DIED OUTSIDE!!
George, running late to a Yankee Swap, steals a gift from a Toys For Tots bin. Gets arrested by a cop dressed as a Salvation Army Santa.
— Modern Seinfeld (@SeinfeldToday) December 25, 2012
Bitch i bought a fucking $60 coffee maker for white elephant and ended up with popcorn. I’m going to HR in the morning
— vern (@DopeChubbyChick) December 21, 2018
"Yankee Swap is like Machiavelli meets... Christmas." #TheOffice
— 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚘𝚏𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚎 (@theofficenbc) December 19, 2013
My regular gifts and my "white elephant" gifts got all mixed together. But nobody noticed.
— Steve Olivas (@steveolivas) December 24, 2013
Husband: We’re having a white elephant gift exchange at work, do you have anything I could use?
— DonutHawk (@StruggleDisplay) December 8, 2021
Me: Indeed I do….(Unlocks closet full of clown tchotchkes gifted from great aunt Mildred)
I picked up this book at an estate sale (bc I’m always on the lookout for white elephant gifts) and I need you all to see the letter that fell out of this book which has CLEARLY never been opened once and is fully unread pic.twitter.com/6LoWceBx31
— c a i t l i n (@hello__caitlin) August 19, 2023
I’m at a west coast white elephant exchange and no one wants to swap lol
— ms claws (@alicegoldfuss) December 16, 2018
Taking your own homemade jams home from a Yankee Swap. #yup
— Nichole Bernier (@NicholeBernier) December 23, 2014
When you get the best present in Dirty Santa and someone steals it💀 pic.twitter.com/GQxlWYvZnG
— togan.lacker (@logan_tacker) December 21, 2015
I go into every white elephant gift exchange prepared to die.
— mark (@TheCatWhisprer) December 17, 2016
Here's an idea, every cup that comes into this house that isn't machine washable gets added to the family Christmas Yankee Swap gift bag.
— Chris (@GettingMyDadOn) July 20, 2019
My Q-vangelical family is having a White Elephant Christmas exchange. I’m bringing a Ouija Board Cutting Board to keep everyone on their toes. 🤣
— Sgt Joker (@TheSGTJoker) December 17, 2022
Hubs' office party was a success if your idea of success is being the drunkest one there & winning the Dirty Santa gift that you brought.
— Emily Volman (@emilyvolman) December 11, 2010
Gonna be in the market for a new job once my PI fires me for this yankee swap gift pic.twitter.com/muMuEz0dfB
— Emma J Chory (@chorye) December 17, 2021
I just played Dirty Santa with 35 family members.
— Lady Lawya (@Parkerlawyer) December 21, 2014
That's it. That's the tweet.
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