White Elephant Gift Exchange: History and Origins

Examples of White Elephant gifts to be used in the gift exchange of that name.

 

December is considered an important holiday season for many cultural groups.  For Western cultures these holidays are often commonly host to various gift exchange rituals.  Each cultural group has its own specific rules concerning these rituals (e.g., St. Nicholas Day in Germany; Epiphany La Befana in Italy; Kwanzaa; Hanukkah; and more), demonstrating the importance of gift exchanges for these groups.  Today’s blog post will address another gift exchange ritual that exists among Americans: the White Elephant gift exchange.  This blog post will address what this ritual is, its origins, history, and how and why it is celebrated today.

 

The White Elephant gift exchange goes by many other names.  These include Yankee Swap or Evil Santa.  Ultimately, all of these describe a game wherein unwanted, ridiculous, useless, or “gag”/prank gifts are anonymously and randomly exchanged within a group.  There are variations to the rules.  The most common rules require participating individuals agree to partake in the gift exchange, followed by each acquiring (by way of regifting or purchasing) the “gift” to be exchanged.  Group members are assigned numbers at random, and from there each member selects a random gift without knowing which gift was provided by the other members.  Often gifts can be stolen among group members, with a specific number of “steals” allowed before a gift unable to be stolen further.  Group members may informally compete with each other by way of unspoken rules, such as who has the most ridiculous gift, the most sought after gift, or some other value as prescribed by group.  Ultimately, the White Elephant gift exchange is a play on traditional gift giving, which emphasizes being thoughtful and deliberate in choosing a gift.  Instead, the White Elephant gift exchange parodies traditional gift exchanges by emphasizing useless of the gifts and the ridiculousness of gift exchange rituals, thereby removing some of the stress of the more serious rituals.

 

This emphasis on ridiculousness is infused in the name White Elephant, which conjures up odd images since elephants are not naturally white.  The origins of the name are tied to a distorted and false story that claims the Thai king would gift his subjects a white elephant, a gift of great honor but also extreme cost since keeping the animal alive was extremely expensive.  This is actually not quite how the story really goes. 

 

The real origins of the phrase White Elephant come from the poor economic decisions of the American government in the 1850s.  At that time Britian, who was considered a social, political, and economic rival of the United States, showed economic interests in the country of Siam (presently called Thailand).  Fear of missing out on whatever trade deal the British were negotiating with Siam monarchy led the American government to send representatives to the King of Siam to negotiate their own trade deal.  Unfortunately, the American representatives knew little about what the British were negotiating for, and they knew even less about the culture and traditions of the Siam monarchy.  This led to a lot of ethnocentric reactions toward the friendly gestures and actions the Siam monarch made to the American representatives.  The Siam monarch presented various gifts to the representatives, which were meant to secure the friendship and goodwill between the leaders of both nations.  The American representatives could not accept the gifts as per American laws and customs, and they felt that the gifts that were offered were useless.  This led to the gifts being called “white elephant gifts,” referring to useless and unwanted gifts.

 

The term “White Elephant gift” was eventually adopted by Americans as the name for barters or exchanges among peers.  It was commonplace for Americans to trade items of equal value for various purposes, and in the 1890s these exchanges became codified and ritualized parts of the holiday season.  Several newspapers published the rules of engagement for “swap parties” as they were popularly called at that period, although according to a New York Times article it was the publication of the Delphos Daily Herald in 1896 that is credited with renaming the “swap party” to “White Elephant gift exchange.” 

 

Today, White Elephant gift exchanges are fun ways to share gifts and celebrate the holiday season in a minimally stressful way.  These types of gift exchanges are particularly popular among those who do not know each other well, although they are just as entertaining for those who do know each other quite well.  The White Elephant gift exchange showcases the importance of gift giving rituals not just within the holiday season but among Americans across time.

 

Works Cited

Bullen, Ross. "“This Alarming Generosity”: White Elephants and the Logic of the Gift." American Literature (2011): 747–773.

Herrmann, Gretchen. "Machiavelli Meets Christmas: The White Elephant Gift Exchange and the Holiday Spirit." The Journal of Popular Culture (2013): 1310-1329.

Swilley, Esther, Kelley O. Cowart and Leisa R. Flynn. "An examination of regifting." Journal of Consumer Behaviour (2014): 251-261.

Wright, Jennifer Ashley. "A Brief History of the White Elephant Party." New York Times 23 November 2022.

A Long Yarn: The History of the Ugly Christmas Sweater Tradition

Figure 1: Examples of "Jingle Bell Sweaters" (Source: University of Fashion)

The holiday season is meant to be a period of merriment and fun, but it can also be quite stressful.  The search for the perfect gift, hosting family and friends for meals and events, the reduction in natural light and the rise of seasonal affective disorder, and more all affect people’s moods and attitudes about the holidays.  This is one of the primary reasons why the Ugly Christmas Sweater tradition started in the early 2000s and quickly became part of the mainstay of contemporary holiday traditions.  Very few people, however, realize that this trend predates the current century, which will be explored further in this blog post.

 

After decades of brutal and bloody conflicts (e.g., the American Civil War, World War I, World War II) Americans were ready to embrace a different way of life, leading to a variety of cultural changes.  One of the resulting changes was the commercialization of the Christmas holiday, which began in the 1950s.  Borrowing from the Norwegian sweater fashions of the 1930s that drew upon natural motifs (e.g., stag, tree, and star motifs) American retailers sold manufactured “Jingle Bell Sweaters” to help shoppers embrace the holidays (Figure 1).  Unfortunately, shoppers were not really buying into the trend, although various television personalities did.  The “Jingle Bell Sweater” trend quickly faded into obscurity.

 

It was resurrected again in the 1980s due to popular culture phenomena, specifically the rise of the absurd Christmas movies.  “National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation” featured its main characters donning, gifting, or receiving any number of absurd Christmas sweaters as they navigated the pitfalls of a holiday season continually going bad.  As a result, consumers briefly bought into the fashion trend, seeking out their own “ugly” Christmas sweaters to match their favorite movie characters and recreate the holiday flair they watched on their screens (Figure 2).  By the 1990s as cultural preferences once again changed the fashion also shifted and the “ugly” Christmas sweater was once again abandoned. 

Figure 2: "Ugly" Christmas Sweaters of the 1980s (Source: University of Fashion)

The trend made a comeback in the early 2000s, yet again thanks to a movie.  This time it was the romantic comedy “Bridget Jones’s Diary.”  Bridget’s vexing paramour wore a “hideous” reindeer sweater, which endeared him to both Bridget and the audience alike.  A year later in Vancouver, British Columbia, two friends hosted the first recorded “Ugly Christmas Sweater” themed party.  They encouraged attendees to raid their closets, explore vintage and secondhand clothing stores, or create their own garish designs to embrace the ridiculousness of bad fashion.  The purpose of this was not specifically to make fun of bad fashion but to bring some lighthearted humor to the stressful holiday season. 

 

People began embracing the “ugly” Christmas sweater idea, and it quickly became not just a game but a way of life to locate the “ugliest” Christmas sweater.  Vintage and secondhand stores began marketing their “ugly” Christmas sweaters.  Resellers began selling them at high prices.  People created their own monstrosities, all in the hopes of capturing the title of having the “ugliest Christmas sweater”.  Manufacturers began to create their own gaudy designs, complete with tinsel, sequins, pom poms, bells, and more.  Not to be outdone, major fashion houses, like Dolce and Gabbana and Givenchy, released their own lines of high fashion “ugly” Christmas designs.  Most pop culture experts claim that the event that sealed the deal on the “ugly” Christmas sweater tradition, however, was a fundraiser held in 2012, which normalized the trend. 

 

For almost 25 years now the trend has not abruptly ended as it had in the past, demonstrating that people not only love but need some levity during the holiday season.  This explains the increased popularity in other stress-relieving holiday activities, such as the White Elephant Gift Exchange.  This suggests that this trend may die down once people feel they no longer need a stress relieving activity to stomach the holidays, but that prediction is yet to be realized.  Perhaps it will be in the future, but in the meantime, be sure to “don your ugly apparel” and embrace the new norms of the holiday season.

 

Works Cited

Cerdio, Fernanda. "The Beautiful Story Of How The Ugly Sweater Became a Thing at Christmas." 24 December 2024. CULTURA COLECTIVA. 17 October 2025.

Cerini, Marianna. "A cozy history of the ugly Christmas sweater." CNN Style 18 December 2024.

Tatter. "History of the Ugly Christmas Sweater." 25 December 2023. Tatter. 17 October 2025.

Spotlight on Students: A Discussion on Cultural Appropriation

This post highlights the work required of my SA 202: Introduction to Anthropology students. Students were given the opportunity to research and identify an example of cultural appropriation and explain how the cultural elements could be appreciated instead. Several students were given the opportunity to have their exemplary work featured on the blog, and the students who provided permission have their work featured here in this and the following blog posts. Please show your appreciation for their work through the comments. 

 

Figure 1: The children's blanket created by Lynda Teller Pete that was culturally appropriated

 

By: Maryah Hoback-Blair 

As we discussed, cultural appropriation can be detrimental to a culture, individual, or group. An example of cultural appropriation that sticks out to me is one involving a Navajo member and weaver. Lynda Teller Pete is a member of the Navajo nation that weaves children's blankets with distinct patterns and designs. In 2011 she entered one of her pieces into the Santa Fe Indian's Market (Figure 1), and after the market she found a replica of her blanket on a website. This website did not give Lynda credit for her design or work and had the blankets listed at a lower price and were not made out of the proper material. This company was contacted and later put a warning on their website to clarify that the products are not Indian produced or a product from a particular Indian group. In the Article Cultural Appropriation - From a Navajo Perspective she explains that each color and pattern she wove into the blanket has significant meaning and tells the story of her people. She also goes on to say that they are her work and designs and tells the story she wants it to. 

This is an example of cultural appropriation because the website did not give credit to Lynda for her design and was posting products that had patterns associated with Indian nations but did not credit those nations. It is also a problem because the website was selling products that mimicked patterns from Indian nations but did not have members of that group collaborate on the products. Instead of the blankets and other products telling a story as they traditionally do in Navajo culture, they became quick selling, trendy items the company could make a profit on. 

To appreciate one's culture without appropriating it an individual can get their products directly from someone within a said culture and can also try to understand the significance of the product or symbol. We can also decide if how the symbol or product is being used is appropriate or not. Ultimately, if you think it is wrong do not do it and if you have questions ask people within the culture. 

Reference: Doyon, D. (2023, June 14). Cultural appropriation – from the Navajo perspective. Weave a Real Peace. https://weavearealpeace.org/cultural-appropriation-from-the-navajo-perspective/

Figure 2: Sweat lodge, Kiowa camp on the Washita, illustration from the Annual report of the Bureau of Ethnology to the Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, 1880.

 By: Marlee Brown 

An example of cultural appropriation that I have found that is not presented in the lecture or the book is the cultural appropriation of American Native sweat lodge rituals (Figure 2). A specific example of this is in 2009, a self-help and wellness guru, James Arthur Ray, killed three people during a "Spiritual Warrior" seminar in Sedona, Arizona, which had a total of 50 participants (Fonseca, 2011). These participants, led by Ray, sat in a sauna-like tent made to be a false sweat lodge. A sweat lodge is a sacred ritual in some American Native cultures in which a group of people sit in a wood structure covered in material and use hot rocks and water to create steam to sweat out bad energy and connect with ancestors (Barefoot Windwalker, 2002). Ray did not research or understand the purpose of sweat lodges. Ray had tried to push the participants to break through their struggles and obstacles. He wanted them to die, just not physically. The sweat lodge ritual is made to connect with ancestors and is a sacred experience for American Natives (Barefoot Windwalker, 2002). It is a humble spiritual connection, not a contest to push oneself to the absolute limit. That would be appropriating native culture for personal gain. 

Cultural appropriation is the act of using and/or taking another culture's elements and using that culture for a personal reason not associated with that culture (Welsch, et al., 2017). Usually, the person appropriating is a part of a more dominant culture and is using the more oppressed culture without permission, respect, or full understanding of that culture. In my example I used above, the guru did not consult any native tribes before this fake sweat lodge. He just did it; this is massively disrespectful. The three individuals who lost their lives died from direct acts of the bad sweat lodge. He had no intention of being respectful or honorable about profiting off native culture. 

I definitely think that someone can appreciate culture without appropriating it. If the individual consults a person of that culture for help understanding or doing a complete in-depth research assessment to the best of their ability, that person is putting in the effort to appreciate not appropriate. Most of all, to appreciate a culture, there must be respect and a desire to learn. Even if a person gets caught appropriating a culture, there is a need to apologize respectfully and learn from that experience to better understand that exact culture. 

    Resources

Barefoot Windwalker. (2002). The Native American Sweatlodge, A Spiritual Tradition. Barefoot's World. Retrieved September 9, 2025, from https://barefootsworld.org/sweatlodge.html

Fonseca, F. (2011, June 22). Self-help guru convicted in sweat lodge deaths. NBC News. Retrieved September 9, 2025, from https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna43501833

Welsch, R. L., Vivanco, L. A., & Fuentes, A. (2017). Anthropology: Asking Questions About Human Origins, Diversity and Culture. Retrieved September 1, 2025, from https://platform.virdocs.com/read/581908/49/#/4/4

Spotlight on Students: Cultural Relativism vs. Ethnocentrism

This post highlights the work required of my SA 202: Introduction to Anthropology students. Students were given the opportunity to explore a different culture through two lenses, cultural relativism and ethnocentrism, and through this exercise learn about themselves and the other culture. Several students were given the opportunity to have their exemplary work featured on the blog, and the students who provided permission have their work featured here in this and the following blog posts. Please show your appreciation for their work through the comments.

Screenshot of Amaya participating in the "Stand on Business" challenge in Love Island USA

 

By: Maryah Hoback-Blair

 

The way people interact with each other varies depending on where they grew up, how they were taught to interact, and the cultures they are surrounded by. While these all play a role in interpersonal interactions, there are different ways people interpret the interactions and languages of those from different cultures. Cultural relativism and ethnocentrism are aspects that numerous anthropologists use to help understand one's feelings about others’ cultures and the reactions one has to what another individual does.

In the seventh season of Peacock’s popular reality TV show Love Island USA there were a variety of games the contestants played throughout the season; however, one game, “Stand on Business,” contained an intense interaction between the show's stars. During this game contestants were allowed to anonymously share their feelings, questions, and comments about others in the villa. One contestant, Amaya (a Latina American woman), read a comment that stood out to everyone. The card read, “You cry more than needed. You try to move too fast for everyone,” and after reading the card Amaya was visibly upset. It was revealed that another contestant, Austin (a white American man), had written the comment (Thursby, 2025). Other individuals, including Bryan (a Latino American man), then came to Amaya's defense (Thursby, 2025). Although Amaya, Austin, Bryan, and the show’s other contestants had different ways of interpreting the situation, this paper will focus on the main two types of interpretation: cultural relativism and ethnocentrism, what these are, and how each contestant's reaction fits into the two categories.

In the book Anthropology: Asking Questions About Human Origins, Diversity, and Culture ethnocentrism is defined as “the assumption that one’s own way of doing things is correct, while dismissing other people’s practices or views as wrong or ignorant” (Fuentes, Vivanco, Welsch, 2017, pg. 11). In contrast to ethnocentrism's definition, cultural relativism is described as “the moral and intellectual principle that one should withhold judgement about seemingly strange or exotic beliefs and practices” (Fuentes, Vivanco, Welsch, 2017, pg. 12). Anthropologists traditionally use culture relativism to avoid misunderstanding or misinterpreting the practices and traditions of other cultures. They also try to use culture relativism to gain a better understanding of the diversity of different cultures and why individuals communicate and interact in the ways they do (Fuentes, Vivanco, Welsch, 2017).

Both ethnocentric and culturally relativistic interpretations can be derived from the scenario provided above. Individuals can interpret Austin’s reaction to Amaya's use of “Babe, mi amor, and mi vida” along with her passionate and intense feelings conveyed in her speech as an ethnocentric reaction to the situation (Thursby, 2025). He was quick to judge Amaya for sharing her feelings and emotions in a way that he was not used to and stated how uncomfortable it made him and the other contestants. Austin viewing Amaya’s language and emotions in a judgmental way is that of a typical ethnocentric reaction. Austin is likely used to women in his life not using words like “babe” and “my love” in reference to everyone; therefore, he automatically assumed Amaya was trying to flirt with or was getting too close to the other contestants, even though her usage of these words and sharing her feelings is something that is normalized in her Hispanic culture. Austin’s ethnocentric reaction ultimately created a barrier between him and Amaya and did not allow for communication and understanding.

While Austin had a more negative, ethnocentric response to Amaya's “intensity of emotions and feelings,” another contestant, Bryan, came to Amaya's defense in a more culturally relativistic way (Thursby, 2025). Bryan shared that Amaya’s language and actions are typical and normal in Hispanic culture, and that Amaya should not be judged or put down for sharing her emotions in ways she is used to. He also shared that if Austin wanted Amaya to meet him halfway then Austin would also have to meet her halfway and try understanding the culture she comes from and the influence it has on how she speaks to others (Thursby, 2025). Bryan coming to Amaya’s defense was a culturally relativistic response that allowed the other individuals to better understand why Amaya talked to everyone with so much emotion.

After reviewing both the ethnocentric and cultural relativistic responses the contestants had, it can be interpreted that their reactions are valid and understandable through looking at the cultures they grew up in. If I was in this situation, I would like to try to understand why Amaya used such passionate language. Coming from a household where my mom always says ‘I love you’ when I am leaving, going to bed, or coming home I understand why Amaya was affectionate towards the other contestants. I often tell everyone I love them when I hang up the phone or leave somewhere because that is what I am used to. Amaya may have been surrounded by women in her life that were not afraid to share their feelings and that conceivably made her stronger and more open to sharing her emotions. This approach to Amaya’s language, emotions, and actions can be viewed as a cultural relativistic reaction.

Ultimately, cultural relativism and ethnocentrism influence how we see other cultures daily. By viewing other cultures in a less judgmental and culturally relativistic way we can continue to understand the variety of cultures in the world and how they play a role in our lives and the lives of others.

 

References

Thursby, B. (Director). Season 7, Episode 26. [TV Series Episode]. In J. Barker, A. Cadman, R.

Cowles, C. Fenster, R. Foster, B. Garrett, D. George, T. Gould, J. Hochman, C.

Rosenthal, B. Schaeffer, A. Sher, M. Spencer, B. Thursby (Executive Producers), Love

Island USA. ITV Entertainment; CBS.

Welsch, R. L., Vivanco, L. A., & Fuentes, A. (2017). What are the four subfields of

anthropology? In Anthropology: Asking questions about human origins, diversity, and

culture. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-994759-1

By: Emma Nunamaker

 

Among the many things that define, divide, and bring together humans, culture is one of the more complex. Love Island USA is a reality television show that, while dramatized, portrays the intricacies of human interaction and how we navigate our differences in search of connection. The following scenario explores cultural differences and how it can impact our perception of others. Through defining and using the lenses of cultural relativism and ethnocentrism, we can dissect this scene and study how it applies to our social lives.

In Season 7, Episode 26 of Love Island USA, Amaya, a Latina American woman, read an initially anonymous remark from Austin, a Caucasian American man. In his remark, he criticized her for being overemotional and intense. Ace, an African American man, added to this criticism by bringing up Amaya’s use of the word “babe” when addressing people, claiming it to be an example of her intense mannerisms (Love Island USA). A Latin American man by the name of Bryan pointed out that in Hispanic cultures it is much more common to refer to people in this way. After some discourse, Amaya ultimately decided to place the criticism aside and cherish this aspect of her personality.

Two terms help understand what happened between these four contestants. The first is ethnocentrism. According to sociology professor and journalist Geraldine Wagner, ethnocentrism is “the tendency to evaluate other cultures based on the standards and values of one's own culture, often leading to perceptions of superiority” (Wagner). On the other hand, cultural relativism is an approach that encourages acceptance and tolerance of cultures we perceive as different. Alexandra Howson, who holds a Ph.D in sociology, frames it as: “a philosophical concept that posits that a person's beliefs, values, and practices should be understood within the context of their own culture, rather than judged against the standards of another culture” (Howson). While it is natural to notice differences in culture and compare them to our own, cultural relativism promotes an unbiased, broader horizon. To embrace this concept, one must be willing to put in authentic research, time, and effort to learn the reasons why certain behaviors exist within a culture.

Applying both philosophies to the Love Island USA scenario allows a more comprehensive understanding of the interaction. Ethnocentrism is represented by Austin and Ace. Both assigned negative connotations with Amaya’s expression of her culture and criticized her on two fronts: her emotional intensity and her language. Austin, either from his environment growing up or external factors, found Amaya’s intensity to be inappropriate and immature. Ace may have found Amaya’s use of “babe” to be oddly intimate and equally inappropriate. While it is natural to react to different experiences with confusion or even hostility, Austin and Ace did not take the time to evaluate their initial feelings and look further than their own sociocultural roots. Austin’s criticisms were aimed at changing Amaya while he expended no effort to change his own bias.

In stark contrast, Bryan represented cultural relativism in his efforts to highlight Hispanic culture and using it to explain her mannerism, language choices, and emotional disposition. In response to Ace’s criticism of Amaya’s language, Bryan stated: “Coming from a Hispanic household, calling someone 'Babe,' 'mi amor,' 'mi vida,' that's just how we talk. You're telling her to meet you halfway; you got to meet her halfway, too” (Love Island USA). He applied the context of the culture to the situation and emphasized that if we want others to understand us, we must put in the effort to understand them as well. As Bryan aptly demonstrated, cultural relativism is curated when we stop, think, research, and ask instead of defaulting to judgment.

My own reaction was a mix of both ethnocentrism and cultural relativism. I, as a Caucasian American woman, am not used to being referred to as “babe” and I would initially feel surprised. This reaction is ethnocentric. Accepting other cultures is not always an easy task and expecting ourselves never to be shocked by new things is unnecessarily pressuring and unproductive. What is more important is how we react to that initial discomfort. In reaction to my shock, I would stop to consider that Amaya grew up in a different culture than mine, and the things that confuse me might make perfect sense to her. My next step would be to ask her in private about it, not necessarily to criticize, but to hear her viewpoint. This represents cultural relativism: an effort to understand, not condemn.

At the end of these confrontations, one of the most important things to remember is that mistakes are opportunities to learn. Although Austin and Ace may not have demonstrated acceptance perfectly, their mistake led to a valuable insight from Bryan into other cultures.  This experience will hopefully prompt them to reflect on their initial ethnocentric biases and lean into cultural relativism more in the future. Human error will always be a fact of our social world and giving one another grace for healthy mistakes is as important as reflecting on our own shortcomings. Adopting cultural relativism requires focused effort, and fostering healthy connections with all walks of people is well worth that effort.

 

Works Cited

Howson, Alexandra. “Cultural Relativism.” EBSCO Information Services, Inc., 2023, www.ebsco.com/research-starters/religion-and-philosophy/cultural-relativism.

Love Island USA, season 2, episode 26, CBS, 1 Jul. 2025.

Wagner, Geraldine. “Ethnocentrism.” EBSCO Information Services, Inc., 2024, www.ebsco.com/research-starters/ethnic-and-cultural-studies/ethnocentrism.