White Elephant 2016

[hardwired]

OMG *reels from laughing more*

[Operetta]

OH MAN! Seriously?! LOL I must pick all the popular gifts. XD

[Kentouma]

Like I said, it's similar to the game I know as "Fire and Friendship" except you open the gifts... Then the next player steals what you opened or opens a new one. If someone 'gets' a present three times or is holding it when the last present opened, it's theirs.

We do a massive one with sometimes near 50 people each year, takes hours. I usually get relegated to keep track of what was opened, and how many times each person has it...

[LvSoulFriend]

The colors remind me of Iron Man >>

<< *might be a bit of a dork*

[amazondreamer]

What I've heard is the term white elephant came from a legend about the king is Siam (Thailand) gifting white elephants to people who displeased him. The white elephant was considered sacred so there was a large financial burden in their upkeep. It's the gift you're too honored to refuse, but you can't afford to keep.
Now how that morphed into a game where you're stealing presents from each other I'm still not sure... XD maybe nobody wants to be stuck with the "bad gift?"

[Operetta]

That's an interesting story!

[FoxyJhai]

Lol, I'm starting to think you do have a target on you Retta. XD

[amazondreamer]

Operetta was stolen from! Operetta's turn again

In Play
Metallic gold with red bow held by LvSoulFriend
Orange with a midnight blue bow held by ElvenArcher
Pale blue with storm blue bow held by FoxyJhai
Magenta with a cyan bow held by Kaats711
Blue with an orange bow held by Janalee
Green with a lavender bow held by hardwired

In the Pile
2) Banana yellow with a pink bow
7) Cherry red with a lime green bow

Opened
Gray with pearl-white bow held by silvermoondragon

[Operetta]

Operetta steals the Pale blue with storm blue bow from FoxyJhai

*is obviously still bitter about that first steal* XD Actually it's just the next one in my list.

[hardwired]

*Waves box invitingly* XD

[amazondreamer]

In case anyone's curious- the chances of spontaneous package opening do go up the more a present is stolen. I'm rolling 1-20, the first time a present is stolen it'll only open up if I roll a one. The second time it's stolen if I roll a 1 or a 2, and so forth.

[Janalee]

I think older versions of the game had people bring in ridiculous things for presents, which makes the name 'White Elephant" make more sense- I know my aunt and uncle used to have one where a taxidermy squirrel was usually the main attraction. XD And then I guess people decided maybe they liked nice presents better?

[amazondreamer]

Foxy was stolen from, FoxyJhai's turn again!


In Play
Metallic gold with red bow held by LvSoulFriend
Orange with a midnight blue bow held by ElvenArcher
Pale blue with storm blue bow held by Operetta
Magenta with a cyan bow held by Kaats711
Blue with an orange bow held by Janalee
Green with a lavender bow held by hardwired

In the Pile
2) Banana yellow with a pink bow
7) Cherry red with a lime green bow

Opened
Gray with pearl-white bow held by silvermoondragon

[ElvenArcher]

We do nice presents in my family. With all the little kids playing it's just easier. The little kids just don't understand the joke gifts.

[Kentouma]

I'm pretty sure White Elephant games used to have gag-gifts... So that makes sense? Fire and Friendship came about because half the time you're at war (I've seen some fiery battles for the 'favorite' gift of the year) and the other half you're forming scheming alliances to get you and your allies your chosen gift (best was the year we had a five person alliance that spent a half hour confusing themselves and the rest of us while trying to figure out what combo of stealing would be most likely to end favorably for them).

[FoxyJhai]

We must have similar taste, I guess.

FoxyJhai steals the Blue with an orange bow present from Janalee.

[amazondreamer]

I find it funny that the two "fruity" packages are left- cherry red and banana yellow XD

[hardwired]

They can be surprisingly set in their ways can't they? XD

[amazondreamer]

Janalee was stolen from! Janalee's turn again

In Play
Metallic gold with red bow held by LvSoulFriend
Orange with a midnight blue bow held by ElvenArcher
Pale blue with storm blue bow held by Operetta
Magenta with a cyan bow held by Kaats711
Blue with an orange bow held by FoxyJhai
Green with a lavender bow held by hardwired

In the Pile
2) Banana yellow with a pink bow
7) Cherry red with a lime green bow

Opened
Gray with pearl-white bow held by silvermoondragon

[Janalee]

NOoooOooo-*snaps around and takes the first gift she sees*

Janalee steals the Metallic gold with red bow present from LvSoulFriend!

Sorry LV! ^^

[Kentouma]

Last couple years there was an "under-16" game organized at our party... But those games are mostly just kind of boring? The kids mostly just pick, open, and keep their own... Except when someone later steals the gift they like better... Or someone brings a 'what on earth'?! Gift and someone gets stuck with it. Last year someone brought a Starbucks gift card... For the under 16 game. Then they stole someone else's. Poor kid who got it was very confused/upset... Until a cousin swapped him her gift, because she likes one of the sweet frozen drink things they make there and she felt bad he got something he didn't like at all.

[amazondreamer]

LvSoulFriend was stolen from! Lv's turn again

In Play
Metallic gold with red bow held by Janalee
Orange with a midnight blue bow held by ElvenArcher
Pale blue with storm blue bow held by Operetta
Magenta with a cyan bow held by Kaats711
Blue with an orange bow held by FoxyJhai
Green with a lavender bow held by hardwired

In the Pile
2) Banana yellow with a pink bow
7) Cherry red with a lime green bow

Opened
Gray with pearl-white bow held by silvermoondragon

[LvSoulFriend]

LvSoulFriend steals Pale blue with storm blue bow present from Operetta!

[hardwired]

I see what you did there! XD

[Operetta]

Noooo! Why LV? Why?! T-T Does no one take pity on me?! XD