- The first thing to do for this time honored tradition it to make a list of the people who want to take part in the Secret Santa. Whether the gift exchange is among a group of friends, co-workers or family, determine exactly who will be in on it. If some people want to sit it out, allow them to do so without giving them a hard time. Many people have their own personal reasons as to why they can not, or would prefer not to, be part of a gift exchange.
- Establishing guidelines begins with determining a range for the price of the gifts. This is not necessary, but very much helps so that there is no misunderstanding about the expectations. You don't want one person giving something lavish, only to receive a small token in return. It helps keep things even. For groups of acquaintances, such as co-workers or co-volunteers, who have mixed incomes and lifestyles, keep the cost relatively low so not to embarrass anyone or leave anyone out. For family members or close-knit groups, the limit may be a higher, considering everyone will only have to get one gift. Set any other criteria for gifts that the group is comfortable with. Some criteria may be that the gifts are homemade, environmentally friendly, or of a certain theme. It is totally up to the group.
- Get everything in order by writing the name of each person on the list on a piece of paper a week or two before the gift exchange. Fold the papers up and put them all into a hat or bowl. It doesn't matter if everyone is present or not for the choosing, as long as everyone who has a name in the bowl gets a pick. Have each person select a name. If they choose their own names, have them put it back and select another. Ideally, nobody should reveal the name that they chose.
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Everyone goes shopping for the person whose name they chose. Each person should do his best to stick to the criteria set by the group. Gifts should be wrapped and labeled with the name of the recipient, but not the name of the giver. The point of the Secret Santa is that it is an anonymous gift exchange, where each gift is from the group as a whole, rather than a private exchange between two people.
The gifts should be collected, or placed in a determined area, for the exchange, rather than given directly from one person to another. Someone can play "Santa" and hand out the gifts, or they can be left under a tree, or the group can have fun with it such as having them delivered or leaving them secretly on co-worker's desks.
