What does a "Pollyanna Christmas" mean?

[NY Disney fan]

I heard about this recently about giving gag gifts at Christmas and then taking them away from people?? Does anyone do this?

 

[ROIE01581]

Here we call it a New England Grab. The first person opens a gift, then everyone after can take a gift that has been opened all ready, and they give the person their gift.

At the end the first person to open then has the chance to take any gift they want.

Its fun and sometimes there is a gage gift in the mix that keeps getting passed around.

 

[suzimar57]

we did this at work last year - the dancing hamster won out as "the" gift to wind up with, oddly enough....

 

[nkjzmom]

Yep...we call it either Dirty Santa or White Elephant

 

[daisax]

It's called Yankee Swap up here (New England)

You draw numbers and #1 gets to take a present. (You never want to be #1). Then #2 picks a present, and can decide to keep it or trade for #1's (#1 has no say). The higher you go, the more already opened presents you have your choice of, so you want to have a high number.

Even if you're fairly high, if you got a great gift you can pretty much count on somebody after you swapping it for what they have.

It's fun -- you just have to enter it with the spirit of not getting your hopes up. Within a group of friends razzing each other it's fun -- I've never done it with coworkers or casual acquaintances and don't think it would be pleasant in that atmosphere.

 

[C.Ann]

Neat idea! Might have to give this a try at DD's on Christmas Eve when her IL's are there - just for a fun activity!