What Is a Yankee Swap? Rules, Themes and Gift Ideas

Every December, offices, families and friend groups across New England gather around a pile of wrapped presents and get a little ruthless. It's called a Yankee swap, and if you've ever had a perfectly good gift stolen out of your hands by your aunt, you know exactly how competitive it gets.

Here's what a Yankee swap is, how the rules work, the popular variations, and what to bring if you actually want your gift to be the one everybody fights over.

The short answer

A Yankee swap is a holiday gift exchange where everyone brings one wrapped gift, draws a number, and takes turns either opening a new gift from the pile or stealing one that's already been opened. It's the New England name for a white elephant gift exchange. Elsewhere you might hear it called Dirty Santa, Thieving Secret Santa or a gift swap. The fun is in the stealing.

Yankee swap vs. white elephant vs. Secret Santa

In practice, "Yankee swap" and "white elephant" are used almost interchangeably. Some groups use "white elephant" to mean gag gifts and regifts, and "Yankee swap" to mean gifts people actually want. Ask your host which kind of party it is before you shop.

Where the names come from

The "white elephant" name comes from a story about the kings of Siam, now Thailand, who supposedly gave rare white elephants to people who'd fallen out of favor. A white elephant was sacred, so it couldn't be put to work or given away, and the cost of feeding it could ruin the owner. Whether or not it really happened, "white elephant" came to mean a gift that's more trouble than it's worth.

"Yankee swap" is the New England twist. "Yankee" has long been a nickname for New Englanders, and a Yankee swap is just the regional name for the same steal-and-swap game. If you grew up in Massachusetts, it's probably the only name you've ever heard for it.

How to play a Yankee swap

1. Set a price limit. $20 to $30 is the most common range. Everyone brings one wrapped gift that fits it.
2. Pile up the gifts. Wrap them so nobody can tell who brought what or what's inside.
3. Draw numbers. Everyone picks a number from a hat to set the order.
4. Player one opens a gift. They choose any gift from the pile, unwrap it and show it off.
5. Everyone after that chooses. On your turn, you can either open a new gift from the pile or steal any gift that's already been opened.
6. If your gift gets stolen, you pick again. Open a new one or steal someone else's. You usually can't steal right back the gift that was just taken from you.
7. The game ends when every gift has been opened. In many groups, player one gets a final turn to swap with anyone, since they never got the chance to steal.

Popular rule variations

• Three steals and it's frozen. After a gift has been stolen three times, it's locked with its current owner. This keeps one great gift from bouncing around all night.
• No immediate steal-backs. You can't take back a gift on the same turn it was stolen from you.
• Dice or cards. Roll a die or draw a card each turn to decide whether you open, steal or pass.
• Theme swaps. Everyone brings a gift that fits a theme, which makes shopping easier and the game more fun.
• Timed rounds. Set a timer for the stealing round to keep big groups moving.

White elephant and Yankee swap gift themes

A theme makes shopping easier and the pile more interesting. A few that work well:

• Made in New England. Maple syrup, local coffee, handmade soap, anything from a small shop down the road.
• Something you'd keep for yourself. The best rule there is. If you wouldn't want it, don't bring it.
• Self-care. Soap, candles, cozy socks, a good bar of chocolate.
• Things you use up. Food, drinks, soap and other gifts that won't sit in a closet.
• Funny but useful. A gag gift that gets a laugh and still gets used.
• Under $10. A tight budget makes everyone get creative.

What makes a great Yankee swap gift

The gifts that get stolen the most usually check a few boxes. They're useful, so people actually want them. They're a little bit fun, so they get a reaction when they're opened. And they work for almost anyone, since you have no idea who'll end up with yours. Consumables like food, drinks and soap do especially well, because nobody has to find room for them.

The gifts that flop are usually too personal (a sweater in a specific size), too niche (a tool for one hobby) or obviously regifted without a good laugh to go with it.

Our Yankee swap picks, all under $20

We're a small soap shop outside Boston, so yes, we have opinions here.

• Give Yer Balls a Scrub ($9). A puck-shaped bar with bergamot, bourbon and burnt lumber. It gets a laugh the moment it's unwrapped, and it's a real, good bar of soap, so it gets stolen. A lot.
• Post Game Interview ($8 to $9). Bergamot and bourbon in an everyday bar, for when the room is a little more buttoned-up.
• Champagne Toast Gift Pack ($15). Two champagne-scented bars, BubbleDrunk and Mother-In-Law's Favorite. It looks like more than it costs.
• Locker Room Gift Pack ($16). Give Yer Balls a Scrub plus Post Game Interview. The puck gets the laugh, the everyday bar gets used.
• 14th Amendment ($10). On its own, a perfect "Made in New England" theme gift.

Pair a bar with a bag of local coffee or a little bottle of maple syrup and you've got a gift that will travel around the room all night. More ideas in our soap gift sets and our holiday gift guide.

Tips for hosting a Yankee swap

• Announce the price limit and any theme early, so nobody shows up with a $5 gift card next to a $40 bottle of wine.
• Decide on the steal limit before you start. Arguments about the rules are part of the fun, but only for the first five minutes.
• Keep extra wrapping paper and tape handy for the person who shows up with a gift in a shopping bag.
• Have a backup gift or two for surprise guests.
• Let people trade at the end. A friendly swap after the game ends means everyone goes home happy, or at least a little less bitter.