We are independent & ad-supported. We may earn a commission for purchases made through our links.
Advertiser Disclosure
Our website is an independent, advertising-supported platform. We provide our content free of charge to our readers, and to keep it that way, we rely on revenue generated through advertisements and affiliate partnerships. This means that when you click on certain links on our site and make a purchase, we may earn a commission. Learn more.
How We Make Money
We sustain our operations through affiliate commissions and advertising. If you click on an affiliate link and make a purchase, we may receive a commission from the merchant at no additional cost to you. We also display advertisements on our website, which help generate revenue to support our work and keep our content free for readers. Our editorial team operates independently of our advertising and affiliate partnerships to ensure that our content remains unbiased and focused on providing you with the best information and recommendations based on thorough research and honest evaluations. To remain transparent, we’ve provided a list of our current affiliate partners here.
Culture

Our Promise to you

Founded in 2002, our company has been a trusted resource for readers seeking informative and engaging content. Our dedication to quality remains unwavering—and will never change. We follow a strict editorial policy, ensuring that our content is authored by highly qualified professionals and edited by subject matter experts. This guarantees that everything we publish is objective, accurate, and trustworthy.

Over the years, we've refined our approach to cover a wide range of topics, providing readers with reliable and practical advice to enhance their knowledge and skills. That's why millions of readers turn to us each year. Join us in celebrating the joy of learning, guided by standards you can trust.

What are Secret Santas?

Diana Bocco
By
Updated: Jan 22, 2024
Views: 16,777
Share

Secret Santa, also known as Kris Kringle in England, is a Christmas tradition that involves the exchange of anonymous gifts. White Elephant and Yankee Swap are variations on this game. It is common in the workplace and among members of extended families as a way of restricting gift-giving and saving money.

To play Secret Santa, all participants write their names on small pieces of paper and put them in an envelope. Each person then draws a name. The name drawn is the recipient of the gift. When playing this game, participants must agree beforehand on a price limit. This avoids uncomfortable surprises and guarantees that everybody will get something of comparable value.

All the gifts, bearing a name tag, are placed under the tree or in a designated area and opened as a group. Part of the fun is in guessing who the Secret Santa is. If the recipient can't guess after a few tries, confessing is okay.

There are a few dos and don'ts when playing Secret Santa. For starters, there are some unspoken rules about inappropriate gifts. If someone is playing with his or her immediate family, the choice of presents is almost unlimited. If, however, he or she is being drawn to participate in a more "official" Secret Santa, there are some presents that are definitely too personal to be handed over in the office and other work settings. This includes flowers, clothes and accessories, and anything that can be interpreted as too intimate.

To be safe, players may want to stick to gift certificates, a gift basket, or something like a CD or a movie. Players should remember to keep the receiver's taste in mind, though. If he or she doesn't know what the person likes, it's better to play it safe rather than giving something the person may not enjoy.

Over the last few years, some websites have been set up for people who wish to play Secret Santa at a distance. Participants of the same family or group of friends register online and then "draw" the name of the person to whom they must send the present. This is a great solution for large families who are spread out around the country and don't get to meet over the holidays.

Share
WiseGeek is dedicated to providing accurate and trustworthy information. We carefully select reputable sources and employ a rigorous fact-checking process to maintain the highest standards. To learn more about our commitment to accuracy, read our editorial process.
Diana Bocco
By Diana Bocco
Diana Bocco, a versatile writer with a distinct voice, creates compelling long-form and short-form content for various businesses. With a data-focused approach and a talent for sharing engaging stories, Diana’s written work gets noticed and drives results.

Editors' Picks

Discussion Comments
By GreenWeaver — On Jan 09, 2011

Oasis11-A secret Santa present could be a gift card for a big box retailer or a restaurant. Sometimes it is hard to buy a gift for a coworker that you do not know very well.

A gift basket of gourmet chocolates always works well, but you will have to do some investigative work to find the right present.

Some offices have the participants list three gifts within the price range allotted in order to make it easier to buy for them, but this can take some of the fun away from the secret Santa program.

Some gifts for secret Santa exchange are a Tommy Hilfiger duffle bag or a Best Buy gift card for a man and a cosmetic set or a gift card for a restaurant.

These are some ideas but a site called Red Envelope offers a lot of other ideas in different price ranges.

By oasis11 — On Jan 06, 2011

Having an office secret Santa program is really a lot of fun because everyone gets a gift and no one feels left out. A secret Santa exchange usually involves a limit on the amount of the gift so that participants do feel overwhelmed by the experience and feel that they have to buy something more expensive.

A great office secret Santa idea is offering a small token each day in a secretive manner to see if the person can guess who the Santa actually is.

I participated in a secret Santa exchange once and I had my boss who was a sports enthusiast. I gave small sports related gifts until the day of the actual exchange.

It was really fun because he would make comments about the gifts every day. Secret Santa gifts should really be minor tokens and something that you can have fun with.

Diana Bocco
Diana Bocco
Diana Bocco, a versatile writer with a distinct voice, creates compelling long-form and short-form content for various...
Learn more
Share
https://www.wise-geek.com/what-are-secret-santas.htm
Copy this link
WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.

WiseGeek, in your inbox

Our latest articles, guides, and more, delivered daily.