How Does Secret Santa Work? Your Guide to This Popular Gift Exchange

Secret Santa is a popular holiday and Christmas gift-giving game, but you might be wondering, “How does Secret Santa work, exactly?” Well, wonder no more. In this guide, we’re answering that question and sharing all the details you need to plan a fun and fabulous Secret Santa gift exchange this year.

How Does Secret Santa Work?

There are lots of popular American holiday gift exchange games, including White Elephant and Yankee Swap. However, instead of buying silly or generic gifts, a Secret Santa gift exchange means each gift is bought with the recipient in mind.

Here’s how to play Secret Santa:

1. Gather your participants: Determine which group of people will be participating and write down everyone’s name on a piece of paper or use an online tool to invite everyone to sign up for the gift exchange.
2. Share some Secret Santa rules: Agree on a suggested gift value or price limit so there’s no uncertainty. Decide whether you want to set any rules on gift themes or any exclusions like no drink-related gifts or no gag gifts. You’ll also want to set a deadline for the gift exchange.
3. Ask for gift ideas and suggestions: If you’re collecting gift ideas in person, ask everyone to write this on the paper alongside their name so “Santa” can get them a great gift. If they’re not sure of what they want, ask them to write down what type of gift cards they’d like. If you’re planning your gift exchange online, encourage everyone to create a wishlist they can share with others.
4. Draw names and assign Secret Santas: From your list of participants, use a random method to match up gift givers and receivers. You could pull random names from a hat, use an online generator, or use a dedicated online Secret Santa generator like Elfster to handle the process for you.
5. Shop for a great Secret Santa gift: Using the set guidelines and budget, every Secret Santa chooses the perfect gift for their gift recipient.
6. Prepare the gift: If you’re doing an in-person exchange, ask everyone to wrap the gift and include a tag that mentions who it’s for (but not the gift giver’s own name). If you’re doing an online Secret Santa gift exchange, now is the time to mail the gift so it reaches the recipient before your set deadline.
7. Plan your gift exchange moment: On your set date and time, meet (in-person or virtually) to exchange or open your Secret Santa gifts. We love the idea of planning a Secret Santa party to create a real moment around the gift giving experience.
8. Guess who your Secret Santa was: After you’ve exchanged gifts, encourage your party guests to guess who their Secret Santa was before you reveal the answers.

Secret Santa can be a wonderful holiday or Christmas tradition to give thoughtful gifts to others without breaking your budget. When you see how it works, it’s no wonder this gift exchange idea is such a popular way to give to others at this time of year.

How to Throw an Incredible Secret Santa Party in 7 Steps

Design: Jen Montgomery

As Secret Santa organizer, the honor of planning the gift exchange party is all yours. Ready to celebrate the holiday season? Here’s how to plan and host a memorable Secret Santa gift exchange party. (You can use this Oh What Fun invitation to kickstart the festivities!)

1. Choose Between an In-Person or Virtual Gift Exchange Party

Before you can plan your party, you first need to decide whether it’s an in-person gathering or a virtual gift exchange party. In-person parties are perfect for family gatherings or gift exchanges between coworkers while online gift exchange parties are ideal if your loved ones, coworkers, or friends are far away.

Decide which makes the most sense for your group and adjust your party planning expectations accordingly. For an in-person party you’ll need to consider venue, food and drink, playlists, and party games. For a virtual holiday party, choose a video call platform, a few virtual party games, and when the best time of day is for your group to meet.

2. Decide on the Date, Time, and Location

Design: Leah Bisch Studio

The Christmas holiday season is a busy time, which means getting everyone together in the same place at the same time can be challenging. Decide on a date and time about a month or two in advance. This gives everyone a chance to save the date in their calendar and plan ahead with their gift buying.

Whether you’re hosting in-person or virtually, you’ll also need a venue. We love hosting gift exchange parties at home as it adds to the cozy atmosphere. For virtual events, choose video call software like Zoom or Google Meet — whichever you’re most comfortable with. 

3. Plan Your Party Details

Before you send out your invites, consider the finer details of your celebration. Think about what kind of atmosphere you want to create, what food and drink you plan to serve, and any activities or games you want to play. (Take a look at these Christmas party ideas for inspiration.) 

For instance, do you want to host a potluck celebration or incorporate Christmas theme ideas to make your party even more unique? If so, be sure to mention this on your Secret Santa invitations. 

For a virtual party, think about how you can make the event feel special — maybe you can find a holiday-themed Zoom background or plan a few virtual party games.

4. Send Out Your Secret Santa Party Invitations

Design: Signature Greenvelope

Once you have the party essentials sorted, it’s time for the exciting part — sending out your Secret Santa invitations!

At Greenvelope, we have a beautiful collection of holiday party invitations and Secret Santa Christmas party invitations to match your theme, style, and occasion. Every invitation template is customizable, so you can DIY the editable template into an invite that feels unique to you. Change the layout, colors, fonts, and wording to create an exciting experience for your guests.

Choose a dedicated Secret Santa party invite like the one above or opt for one of our festive-themed holiday party invites with an adorable snowman, retro Santa, piles of gifts, and more.

Once your design is ready, sending it is easy. You can send your online invitations by email or turn them into text message invitations or even share them via social media for quick delivery.

5. Send Your Guests a Reminder

A week or two before your Secret Santa gift exchange party, send your guests a reminder. Not only does this act as encouragement to send their RSVP if they haven’t already, but for some guests it’ll be a reminder that they still have a gift to buy. (Bonus: with Greenvelope, you can effortlessly track RSVPs online.)

6. Gather Decor and Other Essentials

Use our party planning checklist to make sure you have everything you need at least two weeks before your celebration. It’ll really depend on how many people you’re hosting and what type of party it is. The goal is to take care of those pre-party essentials like preparing food, wrapping gifts, putting up decor, and arranging activities. With everything ready, you can relax a little and get ready to play the role of host.

7. Exchange Secret Santa Gifts and Enjoy the Party

Design: Cynthia Jacquette Art and Design

On the day of the party, gather all members of the group together (or via video call) and introduce the gift exchange process. Ask everyone to unwrap and share their gift one at a time, then make a guess as to who bought it for them. 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. This adorable Santa on Skis card would do the trick with plenty of space on the back to share your message.

Plan the Best Secret Santa Gift Exchange Ever

How does Secret Santa work? Well, you certainly have the answer now. Use these ideas, tips, and suggestions to plan the best Secret Santa gift exchange party. Once you get to know the Secret Santa rules, it’s fairly easy to ensure a smooth process and a spectacular holiday party.

Make the whole experience feel even more special and bespoke with the help of our Secret Santa gift exchange invitations. Each design can be customized, giving you a fun way to make your event stand out right from the start.