How does Secret Santa work?

Secret Santa is one gift each instead of one gift for everyone. A group draws names anonymously, each person buys for the name they drew inside an agreed budget, and everything is opened together.

It exists because buying for twelve colleagues is expensive and buying for one is fun. Done properly it costs a tenner and is the best twenty minutes of the working year.

Here's the whole thing in order, including how to run it when half the team is at home.

Step by step

• 1. Agree who's in. Ask privately so nobody feels press-ganged. Shop this card
• 2. Set the budget and the opening date in the same message. Shop this card
• 3. Draw names — hat, or a free online generator for remote teams. Shop this card
• 4. Everyone gets one name and tells nobody. Shop this card
• 5. Optional: collect a one-line wish list from each person. Shop this card
• 6. Buy inside the budget, allowing a week for delivery. Shop this card
• 7. Wrap it, label it with the recipient's name only, no giver's name. Shop this card
• 8. Open together on the agreed day and reveal only if the group wants to. Shop this card

How to draw the names

• In person: names on folded paper, one hat, everyone draws at once. Shop this card
• Redraw the whole hat if anyone pulls their own name. Shop this card
• Online: a free Secret Santa generator emails each person their name. Shop this card
• The generator is better for remote teams because no one person sees the list. Shop this card
• If one person must organise, they draw last and accept they'll know one pairing. Shop this card
• Exclusions — couples, desk partners — should be set before the draw, not after. Shop this card
• Draw two to three weeks ahead so posting isn't a panic. Shop this card
• Screenshot your name somewhere private. People forget. Shop this card

Wish lists: worth it or not?

• One line each, three ideas maximum. Any more and it stops being a surprise. Shop this card
• Ask for likes rather than specific products — "strong coffee, dogs, terrible puns". Shop this card
• Include allergies and anything they don't drink. That's the useful part. Shop this card
• Wish lists massively cut the number of gifts left behind on the last day. Shop this card
• For a group who barely know each other, wish lists are essential. Shop this card
• For close friends, skip them. Guessing badly is half the fun. Shop this card
• Never make the list public with names attached — it kills the anonymity. Shop this card
• The organiser collects them and passes each one on privately. Shop this card

Running it remotely

• Use a generator that emails matches so no one holds the whole list. Shop this card
• Post straight to the recipient with a gift note, not your name. Shop this card
• Bring the deadline forward by a week for December post. Shop this card
• Open on a video call so it's still a shared moment. Shop this card
• Give everyone a delivery cut-off date, not just a buying budget. Shop this card
• Have the organiser check in a week out — one nudge saves the whole thing. Shop this card
• Keep gifts small and flat if anyone's shipping abroad. Shop this card
• Agree what happens if a parcel is late: open it on the next call. Shop this card

Christmas cards to go with it

A card turns a small gift into a proper present. Printed and posted in the UK.

How to write it so it lands

• Put the opening date in everyone's calendar the same day you draw names.
• Collect a one-line wish list — it's the difference between a used gift and a drawer gift.
• Order early: the gift that arrives on time beats the cleverer one that doesn't.
• Add a card. It's the only bit anybody keeps.

Where to shop next

• Secret Santa gift ideas
• Christmas stocking fillers
• Christmas cards and gifts
• Pin badges
• Scented soy candles
• Buy Christmas cards
• Secret Santa rules
• Secret Santa gifts under £10
• Funny office Secret Santa gifts
• Planning the party? Birthday party ideas
• How to make a balloon arch
• Photo booth prop ideas

Frequently asked questions

How does Secret Santa work?

Everyone in the group draws one name at random and buys a gift for that person only, up to an agreed budget. Gifts are labelled with the recipient's name, not the giver's, and opened together on one date.

How many people do you need for Secret Santa?

Four is the practical minimum — below that the anonymity disappears. It works best from about six to thirty people.

How do you draw names online?

Use a free Secret Santa generator: everyone enters their name and email, the site draws the matches and emails each person their name, so nobody sees the full list.

How far in advance should you organise Secret Santa?

Draw names two to three weeks before the opening date. For remote teams make it four, because December post is slow and one late parcel spoils the call.

Should Secret Santa gifts be wrapped?

Yes, and labelled with the recipient's name only. Handwriting can give you away, so print the label or get someone outside the group to write it.