FAQs
White Elephant is a gift exchange game that is very similar in style to Yankee Swap, although the emphasis is to “steal” gifts rather than swap them. Most often, this type of gift exchange takes place at a party with other participants in attendance.
What is the world's largest Secret Santa? ›
RedditGifts reports that 212,894 people worldwide participated in the event during 2014. The site was a three-time Guinness World Record holder for the World's Largest Gift Exchange. 2021 Secret Santa exchange was the last one to take place before the RedditGifts site was shut down in January of 2022.
What is dirty Secret Santa? ›
Dirty doesn't necessarily mean NSFW. Sure, it can, but really it's just the name of the game, a party game where any funny and (largely) impractical gifts are exchanged. In fact, the game is often the star of office parties, serving as a light-hearted and low-pressure gift swap between coworkers.
Who is the real Secret Santa? ›
During this time, he kept his identity a secret. In 2006, prior to his death, he revealed his identity. His name was Larry Dean Stewart. He was the creator and original Secret Santa.
What is Bad Secret Santa? ›
Bad Santa is a variation of the classic Kris Kringle (or Secret Santa) game, in which each guest receives an anonymous gift bought by another guest. Part of the fun (for others) is the unwrapping of silly and useless gifts, which is done one by one. Bad Santa spices things up.
What is the Christmas gift exchange where you steal? ›
The White Elephant Game Rules
Sit in a circle and place the gifts in the center, preferably under a festive tree. The person who drew #1 selects a gift from the pile, opens it, and holds it up for all to see. The person who drew #2 decides whether to steal that gift or unwrap a mystery present from the pile.
How much is too much for Secret Santa? ›
And while we're at it, don't give a used gift either. It's fine to repurpose a gift if you haven't used it at all, but nobody wants your scratched-up DVD of The Sound of Music or your coffee table book that you literally spilled coffee on. Besides, Secret Santa usually has a price cap of about $10 to $15 per gift.
Is it OK to spend more on Secret Santa? ›
“By underspending, you might make someone feel undervalued. By overspending, you might make someone feel uncomfortable that they weren't able to spend as much money on their Secret Santa as you were.
Are you supposed to find out who your Secret Santa is? ›
When the gift-giving time arrives, each recipient finds his/her gift and must guess who their Secret Santa is. If they can't guess, their Secret Santa eventually confesses. With the SecretSanta.com service, organizing and managing a Secret Santa gift exchange is now easier and much more fun.
How do I make Secret Santa more fun? ›
Different Ways to Do Secret Santa
- The Yankee Swap The Yankee Swap is also sometimes called the White Elephant or Dirty Santa. ...
- Scavenger Hunt Scavengers hunts are always fun. ...
- Gift Auction Gift auction is a fun game to play because you have a good chance of getting exactly what you want.
Guests take turns to choose one to unwrap. Or they can choose to “steal” a gift already opened by someone else. The person losing their gift then gets the same choice: open a wrapped present or steal someone else's. It's a good alternative to buying a gift for everyone, and a great way to ruin friendships.
What do you call the person you have for Secret Santa? ›
The Secret Santa is given a Wishlist of gift ideas to choose from to give to their chosen giftee. After opening their present, the giftee has to guess which member of the group was their Secret Santa.
What is the opposite of Secret Santa? ›
We're not sure where the name "Dirty Santa" originated, but it's meant to refer to game participants, the "Santas," stealing desirable gifts from each other. As opposed to Secret Santa, where participants are trying to guess who their personalized gifts are from, Dirty Santa adds a fun, competitive twist.
What is the common name for Secret Santa? ›
Deriving from the Christian tradition, the ritual is known as Secret Santa in the United States and the United Kingdom; as Kris Kringel or Kris Kindle (Christkindl) in Ireland; as Wichteln, Secret Santa, Kris Kringle, Chris Kindle (Christkindl) or Engerl-Bengerl in parts of Austria; as Secret Santa or Kris Kringle in ...
Do you reveal Secret Santa after? ›
Once everyone has opened their gifts, you can reveal who the Secret Santas were! After you've exchanged gifts, spend the rest of the time enjoying the magic of the holiday season. For a thoughtful touch, send a follow-up card a few days after the party to thank everyone for participating.
Secret Santa - Draw Namesdrawnames.comhttps://www.drawnames.com ›
Secret Santa is one of the most popular traditions to celebrate with family, friends and co-workers. But what is a Secret Santa gift exchange and how did it com...
What is Secret Santa? One of the most beloved gift exchange traditions. Secret Santa is a gift exchange tradition that has its roots in early Christmas traditio...
Ho ho ho. Secret Santa's here. Don your red-and-white hat and head to The Shops at Columbus Circle to up your gift-giving game. We've got 10 Secret Sant...
Player 1 picks a present and opens it. Player 2 decides first whether to steal Player 1's present, or open a new present, and then does so. (Pro tip: Ensure players declare this loudly before they touch a single present.) If your present gets stolen, you may either steal from another player, or open a new present.
What is the Secret Santa gift receiver called? ›
The Secret Santa is given a Wishlist of gift ideas to choose from to give to their chosen giftee. After opening their present, the giftee has to guess which member of the group was their Secret Santa. It's a holiday classic where the guessing is as much a part of the fun as receiving the gift.
What is the Secret Santa gift exchange game? ›
A group comes together, everyone writes down their name on a piece of paper, and each participant draws a random name out of a hat. You are the Secret Santa for the person you draw. Next you write down a gift suggestion or two on a wish list and your Secret Santa chooses a gift for you from that list.
What is another name for the Secret Santa gift exchange? ›
This game is more commonly known as the white elephant gift exchange, or Yankee Swap.
