Dirty Santa rules, and a game that keeps score.
Dirty Santa is the South’s name for a white elephant gift swap: bring a wrapped gift, draw numbers, and on your turn unwrap one or steal one. The game on this page keeps track of whose turn it is, how many times each gift was stolen and which ones are dead. Pass one phone round.
By the Gift DeskUpdated
Set up your Dirty Santa
The order is drawn at random. Pass this phone round.
How do you play Dirty Santa?
Everyone brings one wrapped gift and draws a number. Number 1 unwraps a gift. Each next player unwraps a new gift or steals one that’s already open; whoever gets robbed picks again, but can’t steal the same gift right back. A gift is “dead” after its third steal and stays put. When the last gift is unwrapped, number 1 gets one last swap, and the game’s over.
- Where: The South
- Budget: Usually $20 to $25
- Steals: A gift is dead after the third
- Number 1: Gets the last swap
- Same game as: White elephant, Yankee swap
How to play Dirty Santa
- 1Bring one wrapped giftEveryone brings one gift at the agreed price, usually $20 to $25, wrapped so the shape doesn’t give it away. No gift, no number.
- 2Draw numbersSlips from a Santa hat, or the phone. Number 1 goes first and unwraps a gift, since there’s nothing to steal yet.
- 3Unwrap or stealOn your turn, unwrap a gift from the pile and hold it up, or steal one that’s already been opened.
- 4Robbed? Pick againWhoever gets robbed unwraps a new gift or steals a different one. No stealing right back the gift that was just taken. The turn moves on when someone unwraps a new gift.
- 5Dead after three stealsA gift stolen three times is dead: it stays with whoever has it now. Big parties sometimes make it two.
- 6Number 1 gets the last swapWhen the last gift is unwrapped, number 1 may swap with any gift that isn’t dead, handing theirs over, or keep what they have. Then it’s over.
Why is it called Dirty Santa?
The dirty part is the stealing, not the gifts. Taking a heated blanket out of your aunt’s hands is the kind of friendly treachery the game is named for. Some groups do play an adults-only version with naughty gifts; if yours does, say so on the invite, so the person who brings a scented candle isn’t the only one.
Dirty Santa vs white elephant vs Yankee swap
Same game, three names. What changes is where you are, and a few words for the same rules.
| Rule | Dirty Santa | White elephant | Yankee swap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where it’s called that | The South | Most of the US | New England |
| A gift that can’t be stolen | Dead | Frozen | Frozen, locked |
| Usual steal limit | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Number 1 at the end | One last swap, in most groups | One last swap, in most groups | The final swap, nearly always |
| The gifts | Leans funny | Funny or useful | Useful, with a laugh |
House rules worth agreeing first
Two steals or three?
Three is the usual. With more than 20 people, two keeps the game under an hour.
Three steals and the turn ends
Some Southern groups also stop a turn after three steals in a row: the third person robbed unwraps a new gift. The tool doesn’t count that one, so the host calls it.
Is number 1’s last swap on?
It’s the fair thing to do for whoever drew 1. Turn it off in the tool if your family never played it.
Regifts and gag gifts
Say up front whether a regift counts and whether gag gifts are welcome. A great gift next to a joke candle feels unfair to whoever unwraps the candle.
Short on time, or a big crowd? The dice game ends on a timer. Play Dirty Santa with dice.
Dirty Santa gifts people steal
The ones that get stolen are funny and useful at once: a blanket hoodie, a hand warmer, a giant gummy bear that gets passed around and eaten. Our white elephant gift guide has ideas by budget, from under $15 to a $50 swap.
Questions people ask
What are the rules for Dirty Santa?
Everyone brings one wrapped gift and draws a number. On your turn, unwrap a new gift or steal an opened one. Whoever gets robbed unwraps or steals again, but can’t take the same gift right back. A gift is dead after three steals. Number 1 gets one last swap at the end.
How many times can a gift be stolen in Dirty Santa?
Usually three: after the third steal the gift is dead and stays with whoever has it. Some groups make it two for a quicker game, or play with no limit.
What's the difference between Dirty Santa and white elephant?
Just the name, mostly. Dirty Santa is what the South calls it; the rules are the same open-or-steal game, with a stolen-out gift called dead instead of frozen. Dirty Santa gifts lean more toward gag gifts.
Why is it called Dirty Santa?
Because of the stealing: taking a gift from someone who just unwrapped it is the dirty trick the game is built on. It has nothing to do with the gifts, unless your group plays an adults-only version.
How much should you spend on a Dirty Santa gift?
Whatever the group says, usually $20 to $25. Families sometimes go to $50, offices and church groups to $10 or $15. Stick to the amount so the gifts are worth fighting over equally.
Can you steal a gift back in Dirty Santa?
Not right away: if your gift is stolen, you can’t take it straight back on that turn. You can steal it back later, on another turn, as long as it isn’t dead.
How do you play Dirty Santa with dice?
Put the gifts in a pile and take turns rolling a die: each number opens a gift, steals, or swaps left or right. When the pile is empty, set a timer and keep rolling. Whatever you hold when it rings is yours.