Secret Santa here in Kenya - Complete Guide
The Christmas holidays present a great opportunity for colleagues, friends and family to connect and make merry.
Aside from sharing a meal and having a party, the other great way to connect is through gifting.
A fun way of gifting, especially for large groups of people, is the Secret Santa gift exchange game.
If you’ve never heard of Secret Santa, we’ll outline the details and rules shortly.
We’ll also list down some popular ideas that you can use for inspiration or as a shortlist.
As the Christmas period is quite busy, we recommend you play Secret Santa early in the month of December. This will help you avoid the crazy last-minute shopping rush.
We also recommend that you order your gift online but be sure to do this as early as possible.
Aside from this, don’t be too cheap or expensive. The last thing you want to do is offend someone by giving them a very cheap gift. On the other hand, spending a lot on Secret Santa will definitely lead to you getting disappointed so try to be reasonable and keep the budget lean.
Here are the classic rules of the Secret Santa gift exchange game. You’ll need to nominate an organizer who will be in charge of the game.
1. Random Pairing: The Secret Santa game kicks off by randomly assigning gift-givers to receivers.
The organizer takes on this crucial role, ensuring the secrecy of the pairings – that’s what makes it so exciting!
2. Clue-Giving Fun: As part of the tradition, Secret Santas send clues about their identity to their recipients. These hints often come with small, thoughtful tokens like sweets or chocolate.
In an office setting, these clues might mysteriously appear at the recipient’s desk while they are away.
3. Gift Exchange Gathering: The real magic happens when everyone gathers for the holiday party or meetup. Gifts, carefully wrapped and labeled with the recipient’s name, make their grand entrance.
However, for online Secret Santa exchanges, participants ship their presents directly to their chosen recipients.
4. Unwrapping the Joy: It’s time for the big reveal! To decide the order in which gifts are opened, the organizer may draw names from a hat.
5. The Guessing Game: As each person unveils their gift, the recipient embarks on the thrilling journey of guessing who their Secret Santa might be.
6. Revel in the Fun: The festivities continue until every gift has been opened, and participants have attempted to uncover the secret behind their Secret Santa.
So, those are the fundamental Secret Santa rules, but hold onto your sleigh bells because there’s more! Organizers have the creative freedom to sprinkle their unique magic and add intriguing twists to the game.
Ideas for Secret Santa Organizers in Kenya:
Secret Santa in Kenya can be a joyful experience with a Kenyan flair. Here are some fantastic ideas to make your Secret Santa gathering unforgettable:
1. Set a Price Range: Make it clear on the invitations that participants should aim for a ballpark price, perhaps around 3000 Kenyan Shillings. This ensures that everyone receives a gift of roughly equal value.
2. Wish Lists: Encourage participants to create wish lists to help their Secret Santas find the perfect gifts. This is especially helpful if your group isn’t closely knit.
3. Multiple Guesses: In larger gatherings, consider allowing participants up to three guesses to identify their Secret Santa. It adds an element of intrigue and excitement.
4. Reward Accurate Guesses: To up the ante, consider offering token prizes to those who correctly guess their Secret Santa. It’s a fun incentive that adds an extra layer of excitement.
5. Simultaneous Unwrapping: In this unique variation, everyone opens their gifts at the same time and writes down their Secret Santa guesses on slips of paper. It’s a fun twist that keeps the guessing game intriguing.
6. Guess-Free Exchange: In some cases, the guessing game might not be practical. Feel free to skip it if it doesn’t fit your gathering’s dynamics. The main goal is to have a fantastic gift exchange experience.
Now that you’ve unwrapped the many possibilities of Secret Santa in Kenya, you can create your own version of this heartwarming tradition. Here are some gift ideas for your next Secret Santa gift exchange.
