Secret Santa/Gift Exchange

[ktheodos]

Did you do one at work? If so, how did it go?

[dreamyxo]

No and I'm glad.

[countrygirl12]

Did you do one at work? If so, how did it go?

No.  And if they did I probably would not have participated.  I am not a big fan of drawing names at work.  You usually end up with something stupid like a day at a spa (something the giver got for free).  To me that is the same as nothing.  Most people do not know their co-workers well enough to know what they would want for a gift.  I would rather spend my money on my family.

[countrygirl12]

No and I'm glad.

Why?  You would not have to participate.  We had a lunch and everybody brought stuff.  I took a box of Christmas cookies and they were not even touched.  There were not that many people and only about 5 of us brought something.

[tnshpalmer85]

We did one at work this year. It went well. My manager usually gives us a questionnaire to fill out so our secrete Santa has an idea of what things we like. I enjoyed my gift.

[nmbrown863]

We played dirty santa this year at our Christmas party. The one where you draw numbers and you can steal other peoples gifts. It was fun.

[renee10]

Yes I did one for the first time at work this year and it went good. I got some nice stuff.

[countrygirl12]

We played dirty santa this year at our Christmas party. The one where you draw numbers and you can steal other peoples gifts. It was fun.

We done that at a church party a few years ago.  Don't go there any more but that is beside the point. A couple of people got mad when their gift was taken. And some would hide their gift so it couldn't be taken. If you aren't going to play the game right and not get mad then don't play at all. I took a soap dispenser from a lady and she clearly got mad. After the party I tried to give it back but she wouldn't take it and was still clearly mad.  I even went and bought her one kind of like it and gave it to her. She shoved it back and me and was still mad.  That is ridiculous.

[countrygirl12]

There is a gift exchange. it's not "secret".  It started out as fun, then co-worker managed to turn it into stress.  They drop "hints" all year, then in December they start dropping "hints" that the previous "hints" are no longer valid.  I asked for a list then, of 5 things they wanted.....they refused to make a list.  Then they comment on the usefulness of the gifts their clients got them all week.  So if I don't get something they like, I end my last day of work before Christmas break, feeling like I disappointed them.  (I recently found out this person doesn't do this to just me, they do it to others as well...)

This year, I said make a list...or get stuff you don't want.  They didn't make a list.  So, I got gift cards for places they have definitely shopped at all year long.  They weren't happy.  They said I should have got them a gift certificate for getting nails or pedicure done.  (Which is what I got them last year, but they weren't happy with it.)

So, whatever.   They get what they get.  If they don't like it, they can re-gift (just like she was planning to do before I left work that day).  I'm not going to waste my time stressing over people that need a personality over-haul for Christmas.

I don't buy gifts for co-workers.  I purchase stuff for my family and that is it. 

[pectacon]

I find exchanging gifts with anyone to be a stressful experience. I would love giving if I ever knew what the person wanted, and I have trouble with that with family, let alone coworkers I barely know.

[gtdoss]

We do this with my extended family - exchanging the names at Thanksgiving. It's so much fun! We used to give to just the little kids. Now we're out of little kids in our family, so we decided to do a Secret Santa exchange. I like to get a gift that I have absolutely no previous knowledge about, a surprise! And it's fun for me to give to a family member who has no idea what I'm getting them!