Secret Santa – The Element of Mystery

When Christmas comes closer, it has become traditional in many workplaces, college residences and other communal settings to have a “Secret Santa” policy to allow members of staff to buy and receive presents, without the pressure of knowing who is buying for you, and in the knowledge that the person for whom you are buying will not know it was you that bought their present. The idea of a Secret Santa has become very popular in recent years, as it introduces a fun element to the workplace at Christmas.

The concept is simple. When you have a number of people interested in taking part in the Secret Santa game, you take names down on slips of paper and drop them into a hat. The hat should then be passed among the team members who then have a chance to pick names out (putting their own back in should they draw it) and then, within a set limit of expense, buying a present for the team member whose name they have drawn. Then they wrap the present and attach a note with the message “To (Name), Merry Christmas from your Secret Santa” – or words to that effect.

The game can have its drawbacks, of course. If someone lets slip the name which they picked out of the hat, then the Secret aspect is lost for the person receiving the gift. Also, if you get the name of someone you do not like (and it does happen), buying a gift for them can be less than enchanting. However it is still massively popular.