Secret Santa Alternatives

I’m sure most of you are aware of the popular way of exchanging gifts known as Secret Santa. Everyone’s name goes into a hat, they all take turns to draw out a name and then buy that person a present - with the whole thing aiming to be anonymous. Hence the term Secret Santa, which often turns into game of Cluedo, as everyone starts guessing who they think their secret Santa is; and from my experience it hardly ever manages to stay a secret.

Personally I have never been a fan of Secret Santa and it's nothing to do with being a scrooge, as I enjoy Christmas and it's always been an important Christian celebration for my family. It’s the fact that I am not the most creative of people when it comes to gift giving and it requires a lot of effort just to come up with something that is half decent. On the flip side I am not someone who appreciates silly joke gifts, gadgets and to an extent novelty items. It’s not that I am ungrateful, I simply find it to be a waste of money and it’s another item that will take up space in my house, eventually ending up in a charity shop.

I dread the whole yearly conversation in work about Secret Santa and why I don’t enjoy it. The short version is: I am a minimalist and I don’t like clutter. Thankfully most companies I have worked for have it as an opt-in, which works perfect for me as I don’t want to stop others who enjoy this tradition.

Having said that, suggesting alternatives isn’t a bad idea.

Charity

When it comes to alternatives this option is a common suggestion which many nod along to, but it tends to get overlooked or ignored. The pushback tends to be that it is boring and not very Christmassy, if we all put money in the box and then give it to a charity. So how can we keep the fun of Secret Santa but still donate to a noble cause?

Many organisations around Christmastime will take up a collection of toys, with the aim of giving gifts to children of families who may have fallen on hard times and aren’t likely to get a toy that year. The Entertainer in the UK partners with the Salvation Army for the Big Toy Appeal, where you can donate toys of any value and size. Take the money spent on Secret Santa, perhaps meet up on the weekend, close the shop or office for an hour or everyone just buys gifts on their own. You could then go to the charity and donate those gifts directly.

You could also put together hampers for struggling families or actually get your hands dirty and get involved with a local charity organising, delivering and helping.

I believe this retains the fun of Secret Santa but also is rooted in the historical figure. St Nicolas was know for his generosity, helping the poor and less fortunate, with a deep care and compassion for children, donating large portions of his wealth to others.

Charity doesn’t have to be boring and there is true joy in helping others.

Group Experience

Pool money together that can be put towards an experience such as an escape room, bowling, cinema, group meal or towards a Christmas party. Instead of going out you could use the money to order food in and have a feast in the office, buy a party game that can then be reused in the future.

Turning the party into a games tournament and using the money to buy the games, snacks and even a prize is another great idea when pooling resources. Many people have board, card or computer games at home they bring in which means you can buy a bigger prize for the winner and/or runner up prizes.

We could stretch this point a little further and even suggest pooling resources to invest in something for the office break room. Instead of little random items the money could be spent on one or two big items that everyone can use and benefit from. The only example I can think of at this moment is a fancy coffee machine, so clearly it’s my time for a coffee break!

This idea places the focus on creating memories and building relationships, rather than ending up with random items that you laugh at once and forget about later.

Book Exchange

As an avid reader this one is appealing to me and it can be done in numerous ways. You could just do Secret Santa as normal but books only, which would be a simple alternative. Or you can add to it by having an explanation as to why you thought the person would enjoy this book. Another option is everyone buys their favourite book, wraps it up and leaves a note as to why it is their favourite book, then swap with someone else. This can lead to great conversations and even a more permanent book exchange in the long run.

Takeaway

I have tried to go with a few alternatives that in someway retain the elements and fun of Secret Santa, rather than just a bunch of random ideas. I’ve focussed on the ones that stood out to me the most, but I am sure there are lots more ideas on fun alternatives that keep the meaningful nature of giving, while making it more practical and intentional.

So which ideas resonated with you or do you have your own alternative that you could add?

I would be interested to hear other ideas, so leave a comment below.