What is Secret Santa?
Secret Santa is a gift exchange in which each person in a group is secretly assigned one other person to buy a present for. Instead of everyone buying for everyone, each person gives one gift and receives one, and the fun is in not knowing who your Santa is.
How the game works
- A group agrees to take part and sets a budget and a date.
- Names are drawn so that each person gets one recipient, and nobody gets themselves.
- Everyone buys a present for their recipient, keeping it secret.
- Presents are swapped on the agreed day. Some groups then reveal who gave what; others never do.
Traditionally names were pulled from a hat. Today most groups draw online, which works even when people aren’t together and stops the organiser seeing everything. You can draw names here for free.
Why it’s so popular
- It’s affordable. One present each instead of one for everybody.
- It’s fair. A shared budget puts everyone on the same footing.
- It’s fun. The secret and the guessing turn a chore into a game.
- It scales. It works for three friends or a 200-person company.
The same game around the world
| Name | Where you’ll hear it |
|---|---|
| Secret Santa | UK, US, Canada and much of the English-speaking world |
| Kris Kringle | Australia, Ireland, New Zealand |
| Wichteln | Germany, Austria and Switzerland (from Wichtel, a little elf or gnome) |
| Amigo Invisible | Spain |
| Amigo Secreto | Latin America and Portugal |
| Engerl-Bengerl, Julklapp-style swaps | Regional variations in Central and Northern Europe |
Where does Secret Santa come from?
Nobody can point to a single inventor. Anonymous gift-giving at Christmas has deep roots in European folk customs. In Scandinavia and northern Germany, the old Julklapp tradition involved knocking on a door, throwing a wrapped present inside and running away before anyone could see who had left it. The name Kris Kringle comes from the German Christkindl, the Christ Child who brings gifts in parts of Central Europe.
The office and family version that most people know today, with names drawn and a fixed budget, became widespread in the twentieth century, especially in workplaces where buying for every colleague wasn’t practical. The phrase “Secret Santa” is also linked in the US to anonymous Christmas charity, such as people who quietly hand out money or gifts to strangers in December.
Secret Santa vs other gift exchanges
- White elephant: everyone brings one gift and players can steal opened gifts. No name draw. See white elephant rules.
- Family “pollyanna”: a regional US name for the same name-draw idea.
- Advent swaps: small gifts over several days instead of one present.
Ready to run one?
Our step-by-step guide covers everything from inviting people to the reveal.
Draw your Secret Santa names now
🎁 Draw names for freeFrequently asked questions
What does Secret Santa mean?
It means a gift exchange where each person is secretly given one other person to buy a present for, so everyone gives and receives one gift.
Is Secret Santa only for Christmas?
It is mostly a Christmas tradition, but the same idea works for birthdays, leaving parties, Hanukkah or any group celebration.