Elephant in the Room

'Tis the season for Secret Santas, office holiday parties, and the oh so classic Ugly Sweater/White Elephant Christmas Party.

I have gone to my share of White Elephant gift exchanges and every year, they seem to get more and more..."creative." For those not familiar with the term "White Elephant," it simply means a gag gift exchange. Finding a gift for this type of exchange is a no-brainer; just simply stop by your nearest 99-Cents Only Store or dig through your closet and drawers to find something you can throw in a bag. The gifts are supposed to be cheap, funny and memorable.

This year, I attended a White Elephant Gift Exchange being held for the youth at Florence Avenue Foursquare Church, and let me say, high schoolers know how to pull off a good White Elephant.

Gifts this year ranged from [the most coveted] tattered leather boxing gloves, to annointing oil, to a bag full of used kitchen utensils. But the gifts that demanded the spotlight were a Jesus action figure (which glided across a surface once wound) and a George W. Bush Voodoo Doll (which said, "Stick it to him like he's been sticking to you!"). Now, the doll wasn't that funny on its own, but it was hilarious how it ended up in the hands of one of the most conservative high schoolers I know. He was lighthearted about it and got a good laugh, but the gift was left behind. Shocking, I know.

We were all supposed to wear ugly sweaters as well, but I got rid of those back in the 90's.

~Brooke