What was the very first white elephant gift?
A white elephant! In the early 17th century, white (albino) elephants were regarded as holy in Thailand and other Asian countries. To keep a white elephant was very expensive and yielded no profit. The owner had to feed the elephant, care for it and provide access for people who wanted to worship it. If a Thai King became dissatisfied with a subordinate, he would give him a white elephant. The gift would, in most cases, ruin the recipient.
December 30th, 2007 at 9:51 am
Ruin the recipient?! Wow! Wonder what our friendships would look like if we brought a “white elephant” gift like that to a party? yikes!
December 30th, 2007 at 5:08 pm
Well, I’ve gotten some pretty crappy white elephant gifts!