Every December, Jason and I invite a small group of friends to celebrate the season with us via ugly sweaters, even uglier mustaches, dinner, white elephants, and games. This year, our get-together provided acceptable amounts of hilarity, eatability, and nonsensicality, plus maybe a little indignity.

We decided to hold our party this time in the Game Room at the South Jordan Noah’s. This space has a ping pong table, billiards table, arcade machine, and shuffleboard table. Although all of these distractions saw some action during our gathering, the room’s large projector screen got the most use.

We ate dinner on the ping pong table as if it were the most formal of slabs and then played Just Dance 2014 for hours. Just Dance, unlike solemner dance games, is more for laughs than competition. Its moves range from blaringly dramatic to borderline asinine. Simone and Jacob’s passionate performance inspired by George Michael’s Careless Whisper was an evening highlight.

Eventually, we got around to the white elephant gift exchange. Frankly, this time, the elephants were pretty respectable, which is more than I can usually say. They included videogame console ornaments, superhero collectables, a restaurant gift card, and Loot Crate leftovers…along with a few less desirable items like a homegrown wedding video and a loaf of bread that Jason probed into a misshapen mass.

Our party was spot-on: an intimate group of friends dancing for each other’s comedic pleasure and bestowing gifts of marginal usability upon each other. ‘Tis the season for sharing and Jason and I are glad we could share this lighthearted tradition with you once again.