What a horrible custom! Let's stop this horror!
Once a year most large offices where folks don't hardly know each other or know enough to resent each other participate in a Chinese Pollyanna.
Before I blast this horrible horrible thing rightously, here are the details if you have never been a part of one of these tortourous affairs.
Here is how it works:
1. Participants contribute a gift. Ideally you bring something anyone would enjoy. You all gather for the exchange.
2. Prepare slips of paper equal to the number of gifts with clearly written numbers. Write out six and nine as 6 and 9 look the same on a scratch paper. 1 from 7. Everyone draws a number.
3. Whoever draws number one goes first. They pick from the pile of wrapped gifts. Heaven forbid you really like your gift.
4. Whoever drew number two goes next. But... they also get the option of "stealing" a gift opened by any predecessor in this case, it is the only person that opened a gift. In short... person number one. The person whom gift had theirs stolen, now opens yet another gift in hopes that no one else will take their gift.
5. The person who drew number three is our next victim. They pick a gift, pray they don't like it (joke) and wait for the next person to victimize them by taking their gift. . If all goes well, they avoid you and pick an opened gift someone else is in love with.
Here are the other details in case you actually want to torture yourself at Christmas.
1. This party's gift theme is X.
2. The gift theme also follows a price range.
3. The gift should be something someone would actually want or use. It should be in new or good condition. However gag gifts are not unheard of. Let's face it not everyone plays by the rules.
4. Gifts are wrapped, don't be a louse any more than the game provides for. Wrap it, don't cover it. Don't bag it.
5. Gift certificates sometimes fit the theme but everyone should agree in advance. Ten participants with ten gift certificates all for $20.00 to Best Buy defeats the purpose of the event. I wouldn't do an event like this with gift certificates.
6. As guests arrive to the party, the gifts should be placed in an area where few people can see who brought which gift. All efforts should be made to hide who brought which gift.
RECAPPING THE BASICS AND ADDITIONAL RULES
1. If a gift is stolen from you, you can steal a gift (within limits, described below), or open a wrapped one.
2. The turn proceeds until a wrapped gift is chosen.
3. A gift cannot be immediately stolen back from the guest who just stole it.
4. The fourth "owner" of a gift gets to keep it. The gift is "dead" after it has been stolen three times.
5. "Owners" of "live" gifts must keep them visible and hold them up when requested.
6. The gift exchange ends when the last wrapped gift is opened. Usually, guests are encouraged to perpetuate the gift stealing as long as there are "live" gifts, but no one is obligated to do this.
OK, now for my opinion. This is terrible! Imagine how much you may actually like your gift! Then someone takes it. You have no chance of getting it back, in the end you most likely wind up with something no one else wanted, no one is really happy other than the last knucklhead that got to pick from everyones gifts! If your really get irrated, you go out and buy the damn gift you ended up appreciating but couldn't have in the first place!
I can assure you from first hand knowledge, these don't just take place at office parties. People do this with friends. Of course... what friends you have left after this ordeal is a question yet to be determined.
Ah.. Christmas. Feel the love? :)
