A not-so-secret guide to playing Secret Santa

A not-so-secret guide to playing Secret Santa with friends and colleagues

November 23, 2021

It’s almost that time of year again, when we don our paper party hats and wolf down as many mince pies as our waistbands will allow. Christmas is coming!

If you’re playing Secret Santa this year with friends or coworkers, chances are you want to get them something they will actually like. A boring gift that’s going to sit at the back of the cupboard until they next move house is not the one. According to a recent survey, 2.5 million workplace Secret Santa gifts end up in the bin, so to avoid that disaster, we’ve put together a not-so-secret guide to playing Secret Santa at Christmas.

How does Secret Santa work?

Secret Santa is a gift exchange game that has become increasingly popular for offices, workplaces and pre-Christmas get-togethers with friends. The idea is that everybody gets a gift, without everybody having to shell out for multiple gifts.

How it works: A few weeks before the festivities, everybody should put their name into a hat (or an online generator for those who don’t like the personal touch!) Everyone will pick a name at random and will have to buy a gift for the person chosen. To keep things fair, there’s normally a price limit set on gifts – nobody likes a show-off, but equally, nobody wants to receive a cheapskate’s offering. Also, if the name of the game hasn’t already given it away, the idea is to keep your selection a secret.

When it comes to distributing the gifts, everyone should wrap their Secret Santa gift, labelled with the recipient’s name, but not the giver’s name. Put the gifts in one pile to keep things anonymous, and when it’s time to open them, each recipient will get a chance to guess who chose their gift for them. In our experience, hardly anybody ever gets it right. If you’re the ‘Santa’ that nobody guesses, it’s up to you to tell them, although we like to keep people guessing for ages.

What to get for Secret Santa

This will really depend on who you are playing with. If you’re a close group of best friends, you’ll have a much better chance of getting them something they love. If you’re playing with colleagues, you might get stuck with Nigel from accounts, who to this day you’ve never even said hello to. If that’s the case, we’re very sorry, but this funny, offensive gift mug might break the ice. Notice we said ‘might’...

If you’re looking for Secret Santa inspiration, look no further.

Funny Secret Santa gift ideas for work

Buying a Secret Santa gift for colleagues can be a bit of a minefield if you don’t know their hobbies or interests, so why not opt for a funny gift mug to make them laugh in the office? Pick your favourite from any of these:

You’re on mute – funny, personalised gift mug
Spreadsheets turn me off – funny, personalised gift mug
I am surrounded by cunts – offensive gift mug – perhaps only go for this one if you pick out your work BFF in the draw!
Have you tried turning it off and back on again – funny, personalised gift mug for IT workers

Secret Santa gifts for her

Our selection of totally awesome ‘professions’ gift mugs can suit any job or hobby.
Did they love Line of Duty? Then they are bound to appreciate this ‘Mother of God - There had better be coffee in here! Line of Duty gift mug’
Cup of ambition – personalised gift mug
Funny gift mug for Tiger King fans
‘There’s no alcohol in here’ WandaVision-inspired personalised gift mug

Secret Santa gifts for men

Here’s our pick of top Secret Santa gift mugs for men:

Talk nerdy to me – personalised gift mug
Does he love Ted Lasso? This funny ‘enjoy a mug of hot brown water’ Ted Lasso gift mug is sure to make him laugh every time he takes a sip of his ‘brown water’.
Perhaps he’s more of a Clarkson’s Farm fan? Let him drink from this funny Clarkson's Farm personalised tea mug.
Or finally, this funny ‘Boom! Roasted’ coffee mug would make the ideal gift for fans of The Office. The mug pays homage to one of Michael Scott's most legendary scenes, making it a fun gift for anybody who loves the whole Dunder Mifflin crew!

Secret Santa gift ideas for doctors

The rules of Secret Santa

Always be a good sport – don’t moan if you do get poor Nigel from accounts, use it as an opportunity to ask him what he’s into. But if he is into weird stuff, back away slowly…
Keep it a secret! Keep your chosen gift recipient to yourself, so you don’t spoil the surprise. You might not enjoy Secret Santa, but some people do – and they will remember that you blabbed.
Stick to the budget.
Depending on the recipient you get, choose to be cautious (say it’s your boss) or push the boundaries if you get your best workmate. It’s usually best to steer clear of anything political, but if you know that they hate the Tories, this funny ‘Tories are scum’ gift mug will go down a treat!