Strider Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Maybe this is just an American thing, but in workplaces and social groups around the country, there is this thing we call being a "Secret Santa", where everyone gives each other a Christmas gift anonymously. The basics, for you non-Americans and uninitiated, is you put all your co-workers names on a scrap of paper in a hat or bowl and everyone draws a name out of the hat. If you draw your own name, you put it back and choose again. Everyone keeps the identity of the name they drew secret...it ruins the concept of Secret Santas if everyone knows who is giving who their presents. The key is anonymity. Most places put a price limit on the gifts: nothing over $20 or $40, for example. Then, at the office Christmas party, or some appointed date, the presents are piled up with only the name of the recipient on the tag, and everyone gets their presents. You're not supposed to write your name on the tag, but some people will write "Secret Santa". It helps if you can write it in a style that people won't recognize as yours. There are variations on this, but that's the basic concept. Besides the workplace, you can do this for any large social group or school class or sports team you belong to. So is there anyone here a Secret Santa? Do you love or loathe the idea? What's your price limit? What's the best and worse Secret Santa gift you've received? Any good Secret Santa gift suggestions? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fool In The Rain 60 Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Maybe this is just an American thing, but in workplaces and social groups around the country, there is this thing we call being a "Secret Santa", where everyone gives each other a Christmas gift anonymously. The basics, for you non-Americans and uninitiated, is you put all your co-workers names on a scrap of paper in a hat or bowl and everyone draws a name out of the hat. If you draw your own name, you put it back and choose again. Everyone keeps the identity of the name they drew secret...it ruins the concept of Secret Santas if everyone knows who is giving who their presents. The key is anonymity. Most places put a price limit on the gifts: nothing over $20 or $40, for example. Then, at the office Christmas party, or some appointed date, the presents are piled up with only the name of the recipient on the tag, and everyone gets their presents. You're not supposed to write your name on the tag, but some people will write "Secret Santa". It helps if you can write it in a style that people won't recognize as yours. There are variations on this, but that's the basic concept. Besides the workplace, you can do this for any large social group or school class or sports team you belong to. So is there anyone here a Secret Santa? Do you love or loathe the idea? What's your price limit? What's the best and worse Secret Santa gift you've received? Any good Secret Santa gift suggestions? Hi 'Strider' we do have Secret Santa here in the U.K, I have never taken part in it myself, mainly because I have not worked for the past 26 years, I have been a keeped Woman LOL, and the Secret Santa thingy is a fairly new thing here. The price range depends on your salary. Always a good bet for the Ladies is a nice Bubble Bath, (Not something like Radox) just about anything that you can pamper oneself with is fine, what to buy for a Man now that is more difficult... Bigdan & Leo say hi to you too... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walter Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 We just finished our "Secret Santa" here last week - which culminated with a larger gift at the Christmas party last Sat. night. Being teachers, we keep the daily gifts to a couple of bucks and then the "big ticket" item to $10 or so. It's the thought that counts and the fact it is really a 6-day run, makes the cost equal what it probably would be for a one-time gift. Anyway, it's fun - until you get caught complaining about a gift someone gave you, to the person who gave it to you! Eeek! I did that last year....... I mean really, when you put down that Pringles are your favorite snack - why would someone get you BBQ Pringles?!? Pringles are "regular" Pringles, right?!? Oh, here I go again....... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Anjin-san Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 Hi all, As much as Wal-Mart get bashed,there are reports that Secret Santa's are doing well a Wally World: http://www.baynews9.com/article/news/2011/december/359080/Secret-Santa-pays-off-WalMart-layaway-accounts-for-two-families http://www.woodtv.com/dpp/news/local/kent_county/secret-santa-strikes-at-alpine-walmart KB (Merry Christmas,you heathens! ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slave to zep Posted December 16, 2011 Share Posted December 16, 2011 we have it here on oz too, though i've never had it at my work ( too many workers ). my son had it at school the other day. they had a $3 limit. i bought a little gunball machine and a lollypop. for him to give. he got some packets of sherbert. it is a fun thing to do, and i know some families who do it, either because they are all adults, or because they have big families and rather than buy lots of small, cheaper presents, they buy one person something more expensive. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Led Zep Girl Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 Last year, my co-worker told me that she didn't get any gifts from her family for Christmas. Well, me & my family went out of town for the weekend & I stumbled across one of my favorite stores. Coach. I thought, why not get her something she will remember & use everyday. So I bought her a Coach Handbag & some other goodies. She was absolutely speechless! And her reaction is what I was after. I'm not a secret santa, I just wanted her to feel happy & realize that somebody was thinking about her when her family wasn't. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dazedcat Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 I used to work for a woman who had to be the tightest wound human being I ever encountered in life. She was much younger than I was at the time, fresh out of college with degrees falling out of her........anyway I drew her name for the SS gift. Not good, so so not good. After much thought I just said ____ it and bought her a Led Zeppelin T shirt; the one that had the Led IV hermit on the mountain design? She thought it was the coolest thing ever, even though she didn't have a clue what it meant or what it was from. I loaned her my CD of Led IV shortly later after she asked me what the hermit really was. I never got the CD back either. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ebk Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 Last year, my co-worker told me that she didn't get any gifts from her family for Christmas. Well, me & my family went out of town for the weekend & I stumbled across one of my favorite stores. Coach. I thought, why not get her something she will remember & use everyday. So I bought her a Coach Handbag & some other goodies. She was absolutely speechless! And her reaction is what I was after. I'm not a secret santa, I just wanted her to feel happy & realize that somebody was thinking about her when her family wasn't. A Coach bag - very nice!!! We don't do Secret Santa at work, but we did do it for a few years on another message board I'm on. It was fun, but after a few times, the packing and mailing kinda got to us... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slave to zep Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 led zep girl : what a lovely thing to do. what a wonderful world it would be with more people like you. you have just inspired me to do something similsr with my co-worker. she asked me not to get her anything this year as she can't afford it, but now i'm going to get her something anyway. she has no children, no partner, so i think she gets only a card and maybe one or two little things from her sister. yeah, i'm gonna get her something..... dazed cat: what a great story! it sounds just like a tv show or a movie. did you also become friends after? or maybe dated? .......? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ledzepfvr Posted December 17, 2011 Share Posted December 17, 2011 I have worked with the same people for years and we used to do a secret Santa, but haven't for about 5 years now. Everyone just got tired of it. I guess we have a bit of bah humbug in my workplace as no one in our office has put up any decorations. The business hasn't put up a tree either this year and there is usually one up already. I do participate in a gift exchange with my car club each year. At a Christmas party each person who wants to participate brings a wrapped present (limit up to 20.) and draw numbers to see who gets to get first choice and opens the gift.. The next number can choose a present from the collection to steal the present from any of the already chosen presents. Each item can only be stolen twice before it is closed. It makes for some exciting fun and smart trading if someone wants a certain item. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ledzepfvr Posted December 19, 2011 Share Posted December 19, 2011 I participate in an adopt a family each year, which is somewhat anonimous. That's kind of a secret Santa. The family knows the organization that donates but does not know the people who open their hearts and wallets to give a couple and their children a joyful Christmas. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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