Washington Holiday Parties, The True Meaning of White Elephant Gifts

What is the meaning behind the “White Elephant” gift, and why has it become a ‘catch-all’ for office parties and holiday get-togethers? That’s what we plan to discuss below.

What I Always Thought

Growing up and hearing the term White Elephant Gift, I thought it was a knick-knack gift. My family had a couple of ceramic frogs that were orange, and they were a gift, so an orange frog statue is the same thing as a white elephant gift. Something dumb that does nothing.

Then I went to my first Christmas work party at our radio station in Yakima, Washington, and I just bought a gag gift. A WWE American Bad-Ass Undertaker action figure, wrapped it up nicely, and threw it under the tree. Next thing I know, everyone is opening nice bottles of spirits (booze), high-priced gifts, and then someone grabbed my present, and I was like, “Oh no!”

Luckily for me, my co-worker and friend (still to this day), Jack, got the figure, and he is a fan of WWE, so he thought it was awesome, whereas I thought I had dropped the ball.

What Is A White Elephant Gift?

According to Wikipedia, I wasn’t too far off. A White Elephant gift is supposed to be an amusing and impractical gift, meant to entertain and bring laughter to the party.

The history of the White Elephant goes back to the practice of King of Siam and how he’d give rare albino elephants to people who he didn’t like, so that the upkeep on the animal would ruin them financially, although there is no official record of this, and in Thai culture a white elephant is so rare and valuable, that if one is found it is immediately brought to the king, although there is some back and forth discussion and debate on the subject among historians (Wikipedia).

In Today’s Workplace & Holiday Traditions

It’s frustrating, I’m still old school and would love to get someone a gag gift, but shopping with my wife for her office’s White Elephant Gift exchange was so frustrating. Finding something people would like, that fits in the money amount, something that won’t be embarrassed or constantly traded.

READ MORE: The Holiday Traditions We Wish We Could Get Rid Of!

There are several ways people play the gift exchange game with the white elephant gifts, stealing, drawing numbers, taking turns, having a countdown clock, all in a guise to having fun and celebrating the holiday by playing Shifty Santa, The Grinch Game, Thieving Elves, Snatchy Christmas Rat, Yankee Swap, Dirty Santa or the many other games that a holiday party with random gifts encompasses.

White Elephant Final Thoughts

When it comes down to it, as long as it’s fun, and not breaking the bank, in today’s world, it doesn’t matter what it’s called, but I did plan for next year’s “White Elephant” gift exchange, I’m going to do exactly that… FIND A LITERAL WHITE ELEPHANT!

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