(no subject)

[cyrano]

So... tomorrow as part of work's holiday festivities is a White Elephant gift exchange. Which I'm pretty sure I don't understand.
Go out and buy something that you think nobody's going to want so that everybody can take home more stuff they don't need.
It feels... a little offencive, even. Like buying food that nobody likes and making them eat it when they're full and there are people outside going hungry.

Comments

[jesshartley.livejournal.com]

Originally, White Elephant exchanges were more like regifting parties... take something you'd been given but didn't use and give it back out so that maybe someone who would like it would end up with it.

But, American's fear of being seen as cheap/poor along with our snobbery ended up making it into kind of a farce.

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

That, at least, makes a little more sense.
I don't think it makes me feel any better about it, unfortunately.

[lil-m-moses.livejournal.com]

Feel free to actually regift something. For my department party I'm packing up a couple of craftsy Christmas decor items (in good shape) that I'd pulled from my collection a while back for garage sale doom. They're nice enough, and I'm pretty sure that someone will want them more than I do. The stuffed Chilly Willy CD wallet I took a couple of years ago was a surprise hit!

[cyranocyrano.livejournal.com]

I think that will make me feel better. I'm going to check the DVDs.