Gift exchange name

[renfield1969]

At my new job, our group does a gift exchange at our holiday luncheon. It's the kind where the first person unwraps a gift, and then the next person can either unwrap a gift or take a gift from someone who has already unwrapped a gift. If a gift is taken from someone, they then unwrap a new gift. This type of exhange is fairly common, but we found that we don't know a name to call it, at least not one that doesn't make us uncomfortable. The only names we have are "Dirty Santa" and some others that just go downhill from there. Frankly, I'm fine with "We're Doing A Gift Exchange And Here Are The Rules", but is there a socially acceptable name for this activity?

[ncp]

I've heard it called a "White Elephant Exchange" or a "Yankee Exchange".

[ShadesOfGrey]

my family calls it a yankee swap. 

[jais]

I've never heard of this but it sounds like fun.

[Visiting Crazy Town]

we call it a white elephant or gift swap

[unicornbee]

We just had that yesterday at work. Its called White Elephant here

[Wonderflonium]

Another vote for "Yankee Swap"

[Aeris]

I've always called those White Elephant exchanges.

[KenveeB]

In my family, it's called a Chinese exchange.  For work, though, I would refer to it as a White Elephant.  Everyone will know what you mean.

[CG]

Apparently, at least to my mother, there's a difference between a White Elephant and a Chinese exchange. White Elephant tends to have more of the tacky/weird presents. She told me we're doing a gift exchange at my grandparents' this year and was mildly horrified at the thought of what I'd bring when I said "Oh, white elephant." EvilCG is very tempted to bring something utterly tacky...but that side of the family would probably like the glow-in-the-dark beer coozies.

[KenveeB]

Apparently, at least to my mother, there's a difference between a White Elephant and a Chinese exchange. White Elephant tends to have more of the tacky/weird presents. She told me we're doing a gift exchange at my grandparents' this year and was mildly horrified at the thought of what I'd bring when I said "Oh, white elephant." EvilCG is very tempted to bring something utterly tacky...but that side of the family would probably like the glow-in-the-dark beer coozies.

I agree with your mom.  White Elephant is a Chinese/yankee swap with the "bring something funny you want to get out of your house" theme.  A "pure" Chinese/yankee swap is for regular gifts.  (The white elephant name, of course, meaning a useless gift you can't get rid of -- like being "honored" with a gift of the sacred white elephant...which was so sacred you couldn't use it to do actual work but still had to spend a fortune feeding it.  I love origin of phrases. )

[green ferns]

Another vote for Yankee Swap.... that's the way it was described to me the first time I heard the term.

Kenvee: thanks for the info! I love origins of words & phrases too--

[seren]

I've heard it called a "Round Robin Exchange"...it's fun...sometimes the same item moves throughout the room.

Seren

[Scritzy]

White elephant exchanges can turn out well, though. I ended up with a $200 leopard-print nightgown and matching robe because Chip claimed it from someone else. And we got rid of the horrible cheap planter, complete with dirt, that we got as a wedding present. Yeehaah!

The nightgown, by the way, was from a woman who was regifting it because it wasn't her style.

[jimithing]

I have never heard the term "Yankee Swap."  I've heard it called White Elephant or Dirty Santa.