‘Tis the season for hot chocolate, mistletoe and holiday parties. If you are looking for a way to make a fun and memorable gift exchange this year at your family or work function, read on.
Re-gift: One gift exchange idea is “white elephant.” According to sassysanta.com, “white elephant” refers to a gift that can’t be easily disposed of. It is based on the legend of the King of Siam (now Thailand) who allegedly gave albino elephants as gifts. Participating members either buy a gift or re-gift an unusable or unwanted item within a certain price value and wrap it up so that it is difficult to guess what the gift is. Participants then draw names to determine the order in which members choose their gift. The first recipient chooses a gift to unwrap then the next person has the choice of either keeping the unwrapped gift or choosing another gift to unwrap, and so on. After a gift is stolen a third time, it is considered “safe” and cannot be stolen anymore. Members can even steal their own gift. Junior biology major Casey Dolen and her family do a white elephant gift exchange every year. “At my family’s Christmas, I wrapped up a big heavy box that was real fancy looking. Everyone was fighting over it and when it finally got opened, it was just a bunch of cans of various soups.” Senior elementary education major Erin Huff once received a singing, bubble bath-taking Santa Claus.
Spend a few: Secret Santa is an exchange in which an individual draws a name and buys a gift for that person. One way to make this event more interesting is to leave clues for the recipient to guess who his or her “secret Santa” is. One way to ensure recipients receive the gift they desire is to make a Facebook page for the event and have all participating members post a comment detailing their interests.
Donate: While many Americans are familiar with the traditional Secret Santa exchange, there are other alternatives to gift giving this holiday season. If you are looking to give but don’t want a gift in return, then consider donating to a charity. One charitable option is Heifer International. This organization is primarily known for its gifts of livestock to farmers all over the world. The charity also provides training for better farming practices with the goal of creating sustainable family farms. According to Blackburn alumna Barb Oakes, who has been a volunteer educator for 14 years, Heifer’s special trademark is to “Pass on the Gift.” Oakes elaborated, “Anyone who receives a goat, pig, cow, water buffalo, etc. passes on the first born female offspring of that animal to another farmer in their Heifer project.” There are projects in the U.S., including Illinois. The closest project to Blackburn is an agro-ecology program in Pekin, Illinois, called Heritage Farmers Market. The program helps younger farming couples who lack money and resources to succeed. For more detailed information about Heifer International or to view the gift catalog, visit www.heifer.org.