By the time you read this, Christmas will be over. *Cue
sad music*. But, when I’m writing this, Christmas is six
days away and I am now officially in the holiday spirit.
I mean, not that I wasn’t before. To be honest, I was
in the Christmas spirit as soon as November 1st hit. I
literally threw off the Halloween witch hat I had been
wearing and threw on a Santa Claus hat. But the thing
about me and Christmas is that, the closer we get to
December 25th, the more Christmas-spirit-y I get.
I’ve written about my favorite Christmases. I’ve written
about my favorite aspects of Christmas. But something
else that I really appreciate about the holiday is
the idea of Secret Santa. I’m not sure where or how the
idea started, but I’m glad it did because I find it a smarter
alternative to the typical Christmas tradition of buying
presents for everyone. If nothing else, it saves people
from having to spend a lot of money on gifts; which is a
benefit to those who may not have the money to spare.
I never participated in Secret Santa’s until two years
ago, when my cousins decided we
should do a “Cousin Secret Santa.”
In total, on my dad’s side (the side
with whom I do the Secret Santa)
there are 29 of us who participate
in the Secret Santa. This, of course,
makes for an exciting family event.
For the past two years we have
used the website Elfster to create
a gift exchange, draw names, send
a gift to the person whose name
we drew and then –after everyone
has received their gift—we reveal
the person we had. This method of
gifting is my preferred one because,
instead of having to send out 29 different
presents, I only have to send
one. Furthermore, because I only
have to send out one present, I can
spend a lot of time and effort in making
sure that the present is perfect.
For example, last year, I drew the
name of my dad’s brother’s son.
This particular person, although he
is my first cousin, I have considered
him to be a brother for as long as I
can remember. The bond we have
is difficult to put into words, but basically I look up to
him, I enjoy spending time with him and—when I was
younger—I would tell anyone who would listen that “this
is my favorite brother.” In fact, when we were younger,
we spent every holiday together and would sometimes
see each other between holidays. Considering all of
this, it is no surprise that I had years of memories
based on which I could create an amazing present. So,
instead of just taking the easy way out and buying him
a sports jersey, I decided to make a book. The book
was filled with pictures of us from between 1993 and
2016 and accompanied with little quotes and a message
at the end. He loved it and, when I went to visit
him in Pennsylvania this summer, I noticed that he had
it displayed.
That’s one of my biggest tips when it comes to giving
presents. Give a present that a person would be proud
to show off to everyone. Give a present that the recipient
would want to display. Give a present that you would
be proud to have everyone know it came from you. Give
a present that you would love to receive. Give a present
that, when it is opened up, you have to fight the urge to
stand up and say “that one is from me!”
But sometimes, it just so happens, that the person
whose name you draw for Secret Santa is not someone
you are particularly close too. It may happen during
a work Secret Santa. It may happen during a family
Secret Santa because, let’s face it, not everyone is
close to every member of their family. It could happen
during a Secret Santa with a group of acquaintances.
In this case, the best thing you could do is reach out to
someone who knows the recipient of your gift. Since
they would know that person better than you, you
can ask them for tips on what that person would like.
Another option you have is to pay close attention to the
person; taking a look at the activities they participate in,
the music they enjoy, the movies and television shows
they watch, the books they read and the like. Based on
this information, you can gain an idea of similar items
they may enjoy. For instance, if you see them reading a
particular genre of book then you can buy them another
book of the same genre. Yet another option, albeit quite
risky, is to talk to that person and develop a friendship
and—through conversation—try to casually find out
their likes. It goes without saying, but don’t reveal that
you are their Secret Santa, but try and find a way to
figure out what they want.
Of course, there are so many presents that you can’t
go wrong with. Clothes, popular books and movies,
gift cards to stores and restaurants, make-up, jewelry,
sports gear—these are just some of the things that
you can’t go wrong with. The bottom line is that, no
matter what present you give someone, make sure it’s
something you spent time on, make sure it’s something
you are proud of and make sure you are giving it from
the bottom of your heart. After all, “it’s the thought that
counts.” No matter what gift you give, the recipient will
be happy about it. So do your best to ensure that the
present is perfect.
I hope everyone had an amazing Christmas with your
loved ones. And I hope you all have an amazing New
Year’s as well! Here’s hoping that 2018 is a much better
year than 2017 was. Here’s hoping 2018 is filled with
love, light and happiness from the beginning to the end.
2017 was good, but let’s hope 2018 is GREAT.
SECRET SANTA…AND OTHER THINGS
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