Secret Santa Exchange Rules

Make gift giving a game with Secret Santa.

Secret Santa is a fun game to play with a large group of friends or coworkers during the holiday season. Rather than buying gifts for everyone that you know, pooling your resources and buying gifts secretly, for only one person participating in the pool, will help cut costs during the holiday season. This simple and fun game is a delightful way to share some love during the cold winter months.

Secret Santa Selection

Everyone who is participating in the Secret Santa game will have his name dropped into a bowl. Each person with his name in the bowl will take a turn drawing out the name of another person playing the game. If someone draws his own name, he must put it back in the bowl and draw again. The name that you draw is the person to whom you will give gifts. In addition, expect to receive gifts from a Secret Santa of your own.

What to Give

In office games of Secret Santa, the organizer of the game may ask everyone participating to fill out a simple questionnaire providing information on your favorite type of candy, favorite author, favorite restaurant and so on. The organizer of the game will then make a list of who has who for Secret Santa, passing out the completed questionnaires to the appropriate Secret Santa. The Secret Santa will use the questionnaire as an idea sheet for gifts her person would enjoy.

Secret Santas then give little gifts throughout the weeks leading up to Christmas, hiding them in places their person will be sure to find them. Anonymity is key to keeping the game interesting for everyone.

Note: A list of "who has who" is an important document to have in case one Secret Santa flakes out on her person. It may be necessary to have the information in order to rectify the situation.

The Big Reveal

After weeks of giving, some kind of get-together or pre-Christmas holiday party should be organized. At this event, Secret Santas will come with their big final gift (generally the most expensive gift they give). Secret Santas will reveal themselves to their person by giving them the final gift in person.