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Where does the term Yankee Swap come from?
Yankee Swap is more popular in New England and is a reference to the swapping of prisoners of war during the American Civil War. Some claim that generals made a game out of these swaps, and they even assigned different values to each prisoner, kind of like a brute barter system.
Is it called Yankee Swap or white elephant?
A white elephant gift exchange, Yankee swap or Dirty Santa is a party game where amusing and impractical gifts are exchanged during festivities. The goal of a white elephant gift exchange is to entertain party-goers rather than to gain a genuinely valuable or highly sought-after item.
Who called Yankee Swap?
The folks at Dunder Mifflin in Scranton, Pennsylvania, turned their Secret Santa gift exchange into Yankee Swap in an iconic episode of “The Office.” The origin of the name seems to date back to the 19th century.
What is the meaning of Yankee Swap?
In Yankee Swap, each participant brings a wrapped, unmarked gift and places it in a designated area. Guests are given numbers as they arrive, or their names are randomly drawn, and they select and unwrap gifts from the pile in that order — with a twist. In the end, the gift you are holding is the gift you take home.
What is the difference between Dirty Santa and White Elephant?
– ‘Dirty Santa’ is more to the Southern states, Today, as the terms evolve, their minor difference lies in that the term “ white elephant gift” is more focused on the gift or present itself. White Elephant gifts are usually impractical gag gifts or gifts from home that just meant to bring laughter to the party.
Are there white elephants?
White elephants, actually albinos, have for centuries been revered in Burma, Thailand, Laos and other Asian nations. According to The World Wildlife Fund, there are between 25,600 and 32,750 Asian elephants remaining in the wild. Only males carry tusks and are the exclusive victims of poaching for their ivory.
Is Dirty Santa the same as White Elephant?
Whether you call it White Elephant or Dirty Santa, the game sticks to the same format. We’re not sure where the word choice “Dirty Santa” originated but, it’s meant to refer to game participants, the “Santas,” stealing desirable gifts from each other.