Passage / Scenario

The White Elephant: Centuries ago, In Siam, now known as Thailand, it was the custom of the rulers to give a white elephant to those who displeased them. The recipient could not give the elephant to anyone else, as it was a gift from the ruler, who would be greatly displeased should the recipient not receive the gift graciously or care for the elephant in a grand style. This monetary burden could be a major liability to the recipient and in many cases the entire family became impoverished.
This is the origin of the term 'white elephant' as it is used today to denote an unwanted gift. The parlor game of gift exchange played during the holiday season is an offshoot of this. In this game, everyone brings a wrapped gift and the gifts are exchanged by drawing numbers and picking a gift in turn. The second person can choose a new gift or steal the first one. It is all in good fun, and people enjoy giving silly gifts and 'stealing' someone else's gift.