Ho ho ho, Secret Santa is upon us, and while your office, home, or neighbor Santa is still a secret, one thing that’s not a secret is how bad and boring Santa gifts can be sometimes.
Being a Secret Santa is a duty and a matter of pride. It’s not easy being a Secret Santa – many people have tried to be the perfect one, but very few were able to succeed. This is as serious as it gets!
While praying for fallen Secret Santas, we would like to start a wave in which no one loses the Secret Santa game.
Keeping it a secret is hard enough, forget choosing the perfect gift. But worry not, we are here to help you decide what to gift by telling you what NOT to gift.
We are doing this to make your life easier (you’re welcome!). You focus on keeping it a secret, and we will help you find the perfect gift.
Gifting Bias
Now, most of us think we are the best at choosing gifts – it’s a phenomenon we like to call “Gifting Bias.” Well, even if you are the best, it won’t hurt to take two minutes to read this blog and see if you can polish your gifting skills.
Secret Santa is about love and affection. We all want our secret Santa gifts to be received with utmost excitement and happiness. While most receivers won’t show disappointment (or can’t), our goal is to give them a gift that brings a genuine smile to their face.
Let’s try to figure out what not to gift, and in doing so, we might uncover Santa’s secret of gifting (after all, he is the gifting GOD!)
1. Personal Hygiene Products
Deodorant, toothpaste, soaps, shampoos, and even luxury bath sets. Although these kinds of gifts might look very thoughtful to the giver, everyone has a comfort zone when it comes to personal hygiene.
Everyone has their preferred products when it comes to skincare or body care. Even if you’re lucky enough to know their brand of choice, which variant would you choose? So, save yourself the hassle and avoid gifting these.
This includes other overly personal items: undergarments (unless you’re playing Secret Santa with your partner), pajamas, etc.
Instead, Try These Creative Secret Santa Ideas:
T-shirts, hoodies, shirts, and bags. These secret Santa ideas are personal in the right sense – one can try new things when it comes to these kinds of products. But the days of generic and universal clothing and accessories are long gone (bye bye!).
If your goal is to give something personal, the product has to be personalized to have the right impact. Think of what the receiver likes: music, movies, celebrities, games, or phrases they use often.
Now that you know what they love, why not turn it into a custom T-shirt, a custom hoodie, or even a custom tote bag? Good secret Santa gifts are endless when you can upload your own artwork or text on these products.
2. Religious Items
Religion is a very personal aspect of everyone’s life. While you surely mean well, Santa’s day is celebrated in many countries and households with unique religious beliefs, so let’s not make them uncomfortable with our own religious beliefs and keep it fun and exciting.
Instead, Try These Options:
Wall Arts (Poster Prints, Canvas Prints, Acrylic Prints, and Photo Prints)
While everyone has a strong belief system, their walls are quite accommodating. People either have empty walls or old and generic artwork.
Let’s give them a new and impactful wall that will make them think of you every day and be happy about how thoughtful you were. Personalizing these prints is extremely important – you don’t want the receiver to appreciate the frame more than your print!
So, choose absolute showstopper with eye-popping custom poster prints and photo art prints masterpieces to make their walls pop.
3. The “I Didn’t Know” Collection
Sometimes you’re late and go for gift cards with no thought, last-minute gas station purchases, something obviously grabbed from your junk drawer, the classic “I forgot” candy bar from the vending machine, or standard ballpoint pens.
These are truly disappointing gifts that will make anyone feel less special than they are.
Instead, Try These Options:
Custom doormats, laptop sleeves, custom mugs/bottles, and custom wall tapestries. Now “custom” is the keyword here – doormats, mugs, laptop sleeves, and tapestries can also be looked at as last-minute gift options, but only if they’re not customized!
Make your gift more special by personalizing with:
- Their most important time of the year
- Things they like (nature, seasons, animals, actors, etc.)
- Professional goals and achievements
- Stay away from universal appeal – try to find out what they specifically like
Other Important Secret Santa Gift Rules
Age Matters!
Always remember that an age-appropriate gift is the priority. A 30-year-old won’t like a box of candies, and a 7-year-old won’t like a laptop sleeve. Always consider the age of your receiver.
Be Fun!
Don’t make things boring – Secret Santa is a game of gifting! So, don’t make things too serious. Avoid generic items, make it personal, and make it fun to receive. Be quirky and make them smile.
No Roasting
Just to make them smile, don’t roast them – ultimately, the goal is to make them feel special. While most of us are great at roasting, avoid designing things that might make it awkward (unless you don’t like them! Wink wink).
Conclusion
Remember, being a Christmas Secret Santa isn’t just about ticking off a holiday tradition – it’s about spreading joy and making someone’s day a little more special.
The best Secret Santa gift isn’t about how much you spend or how elaborate it is; it’s about showing that you’ve put thought into understanding what makes your recipient unique.
By avoiding these gift-giving pitfalls and focusing on personalization, you’re already halfway to becoming the legendary Secret Santa everyone hopes to get next year.
After all, the real magic of Secret Santa isn’t in keeping the secret – it’s in the genuine smile you bring to someone’s face when they realize their Secret Santa really gets them.
So go forth, brave Secret Santa, armed with these dos and don’ts, and make this year’s gift exchange one to remember. And remember – when in doubt, personalize, personalize, personalize!
No Comments