Where Did The Term ‘White Elephant Party’ Come From?

Just about everyone has been to, or at least been invited to, a white elephant gift exchange party. (You know where everyone brings an unmarked, wrapped present and people sit in a circle choosing a present to open, or “steal” a present that has already been opened. )

But why the heck do we call it a white elephant party?

Well, the origin is debatable, but according to Wacky White Elephant it originated in Asia. Basically, white elephants were considered sacred or “holy.” However, keeping and taking care of a white elephant was very costly. (We're talking, eat you out of house and home...literally.)

Now, when a king in Asia didn’t like somebody, he would give them a white elephant. You would think giving someone a “holy” creature would be a generous gift, but usually the cost of keeping the elephant would eventually put the recipient in financial ruin. It was like passive-aggressiveness taken to a new level.

This phenomenon made a “white elephant” to become known as a “burdensome possession.” Something that a person could not get rid of, but wasn’t worth the cost it took to keep.

So, I guess white elephant parties could have started as a way to passive-aggressively try to bankrupt someone you secretly hate. But, this brings us to the Merriam-Webster definition of ‘White Elephant’:

• a : a property requiring much care and expense and yielding little profit
• b : an object no longer of value to its owner but of value to others
• c : something of little or no value

So, by definition, a white elephant party is more likely a "worthless present" exchange.But that certainly sounds far less fun than a white elephant party, does it not?

White elephant parties can be good as ice-breakers, or a fun way to exchange gag gifts for a few cheap laughs. Anyone who gets upset, or feels 'cheated' at a white elephant gift exchange should probably be crossed off of your Christmas list.

If you want some “official rules” on how to host a white elephant party, or just want to know what the heck to expect when you show up at one, Santa Lady has them laid out nicely for you here. And here are some slightly different rules from Regiftable.

Happy gifting, and re-gifting.

What's the worst gift you've ever seen at one of these parties?

Picture by Vectorportal, Flickr.