For years now, I’ve gathered with about a dozen other gals for an annual holiday gathering that has become everyone’s most anticipated social event of the season. (In fact, it’s a spinoff of one that went on for over 30 years and grew to such size that it required a rental space.)
The ‘Chinese’ Auction (for which I know of no legitimate link to anything Chinese to explain its name) is not, in fact, an auction at all but a gift swap, also sometimes referred to as a ‘White Elephant Party,’ with gag gifts and recycled household horrors–but it’s actually more fun when played with desirable gifts that can motivate people to swap. It can feature only a single gift per participant, or become much more spirited when each person brings, for example, 3 to 5 anonymously-wrapped gifts (all different!), with a low spending limit per gift, set by the host(ess). The host or hostess may provide all refreshments, or provide only beverages and ask each guest to bring a small plate of hors d’oevres or sweets for an interesting mix.
The “auction action” plays out as follows:
• The gifts are pooled together and intermixed. The guests look over the gifts and
each selects the same number of gifts that they were asked to bring.
• It’s very desirable to be the FIRST to select a package–you’ll see why–so that honor
is determined by lottery. The lucky winner opens the first package, which is held up, described,
sometimes passed around, and the recipient then keeps it in full view of everyone.
• The second (and all subsequent) player(s) selects a package, and may decide to open it OR NOT*, opting to wait until later. If opened, it is shown around, and the opening player may decide to keep it or swap it for any previously-opened gift. Note: if a gift is presented
in a gift bag with a nice bow, the wrap must accompany the gift.
* Gifts not immediately opened forfeit the recipient’s chance to swap for another player’s gift when eventually opened toward the end.
• After the last gift in the sequence has been opened, players who have gifts they opted not to open, must now open and display them.
• The first player, who had no opportunity in the beginning to exchange the first gift for another, now has ALL of the opened gifts to choose from, and may choose to swap that first gift for any gift in the room.
Note: some items will be particularly sought-after and change hands repeatedly. If someone can be assigned to keep track of the number of times each item was exchanged, it makes a nice finish to announce the ‘most-exchanged gift,’ and for the host/hostess to present its original bringer with a truly nice, even if modest, wrapped gift to cap off the gathering (have 2 gifts on hand to avoid awkwardness in case of a tie.)
But wait! There’s more! Some of the most spirited swapping, begging, exchanging and deal-making actually takes place AFTER the official game has ended and players are free to dicker amongst themselves for whatever suits them best.
This fun, lively gift exchange is a great way for a group of old friends to reconnect; for a group of neighbors to get to know each other; and MUCH more fun than an ordinary “Secret Santa” at work (one gift per guest is socially more comfortable where people don’t know each other well.) This party could easily be combined with the cookie exchange that I saw recommended by another Factoidz contributor.
11.24.08
