to think that Secret santa at work is a pilo-shite

[oneofsuesylvesterscheerios]

I never learn. At our place the limit is £6 and whenever it's launched, a big thing is made of the fact it's very jokey and personal and you are actively encouraged to do a bit of research about the person you pick.

and yet every year some dullard bloke from another dept always buys cheapo garage chocloate that could be for anyone. and is probably a job lot with the chocs he buys his mother and his wife. and his MIL and his sister.

which i found quite funny each year until this year, because I was on the receiving end today. There are about 4 blokes that routinely do it. They should be barred from taking part next year.

[Cyb]

I didnt bother this year

I suggested a collection for charity instead

it was roundly ignored

[oneofsuesylvesterscheerios]

Dh said it's my own fault. He refused to do it this year as last year he spent a long time in Boots choosing a toiletries set and bought a nice Soap and Glory one. And the present he got back was a can of aftershave from one of the women who pyramid sells it on the side.

[Eskarina]

YANBU
We do more of a lucky dip but call it secret santa. This year half the staff had decided to go with rude presents, the rest of us were unaware. Unfortunately no-one ever contemplates that whilst you can think of some people who would appreciate an inflatable "pin the cucumber on the hunk" or a set of chocolate willies, the other half of the group, who have no idea and have put in nice bath sets and the like are just as likely to be the recipients of the willies as your mates are.

No I didn't get the chocolate willies. I got a drinking straw shaped like a pair of glasses and a "grow your own toy boy".

So actually yabu. I'll have your chocolates if you want me to fish the goggles and toy boy out of the bin!

[Guitargirl]

I went to a MASSIVE effort for this year's secret santa at work. I drew the short straw and picked the name of a bloke who has only been working with us for 2 weeks so nobody knows anything about him. I did a considerable amount of research into what I thought blokey would like. Ordered something off Internet that had to be specially made and then because of the bloody weather it didn't arrive in time.

So - I then made a poster of the item I had ordered, decorated in a Christmas theme with a message from Santa explaining that his elves were a little behind this year.

Blokey saw a (non-existent) grammatical error in the message I had written and spent 10 minutes criticising that - until someone pointed out that he had read it incorrectly...

Anyway, lesson learnt - next year it will be socks or if he's lucky a frigging musical tie.

[oneofsuesylvesterscheerios]

arh now yes, I will agree I was pee'd off initially at the chocs. But then I found they were actually ok when washed down with a baileys milkshake.

I have very low standards though as I have been trapped at home all day with two sick dds so I've missed the unofficial afternoon/night out which is always the best. Last year was like the last days of the Roman Empire...

[oneofsuesylvesterscheerios]

You are clearly wasted Guitargirl. Some blokes are rubbish.

The bloke I share an office with though got a Tshirt printed for his Secret Santa saying 'George Clooney loves XX' which I thought was sweet and just what it should be about.

My SS was a spoilt little madam who has recently not got an internal promotion and so handed her notice in . I bought her 'The Road Less travelled' a self-help book about dealing with failure.

which I thought was a good effort.

[swanandduck]

I like them when people know each other well and buy jokey but apt presents. I don't see the point of them if everyone is just politely exchanging bath salts and address books. I mean, why bother??

[starfishmummy]

Last year at work was our first (we were a boring lot but have some new staff). Some idiot decided to make it a "let me know if you DON'T want to do it". I got back from leave to find lots of presents in the staff room and then found the email telling me who I was paired with.

I work part time and had no time to go out and get something.

THey are stupid! YANBU

[oneofsuesylvesterscheerios]

I know! that's exactly why certain people should be banned from it next year.

[HelensMelons]

YANBU!

I wasn't in work when Secret Santa was organised, however I have been banned this year anyway for routinely forgetting to bring something in on time (the last two years in a row). I was relieved tbh!

[oneofsuesylvesterscheerios]

lol at being banned from SS.

You ROCK HelensMelons!

[IfAtFirstUDontSucceed]

Yep - I bought a lovely diary for my recipient who was over the moon with it (a lady):) All,the other ladies were thrilled with their wine, book,CDs,scarves etc! I however, got a really lame jokey-type present from a bloke . One of the girls at work was really pissed off on my behalf and said she would have been furious if she had got it. She suggested next year that the girls just buy the girls and the boys - well they can do whatever they want

[Pendulum]

I messed up Secret Santa this year- at my old workplace, the challenge was to get something jokey yet personal to the recipient. Not rude stuff, but think an exploding volcano set for the technical chap)

Anyway, I'm now in a new company, and followed the same procedure. Bought a rubbish but funny 'table top' game with the notion that we would play it over lunch and it would be a talking point. Recipient looked rather puzzled, especially as everyone else (incl me) got smellies or those twee books for reading in the toilet.

I'm not sure whether to out myself as the giver and explain why I gave her such a cr*p gift.....

[BelligerentYhoULE]

I always try to get something really nice and personal and I know that the lovely lady I bought for this year was delighted with it (posh chocs and a beautiful tree decoration).

I got smellies - again. :) I like smellies but am quite fussy about them - and a Boots set for a fiver isn't really what I'd ever choose for myself tbh.

Hey ho! I will still do it next year because I like choosing for the person. Then again, I LIKE all of the people I work with!

[atswimtwolengths]

Yes, the women do it at my workplace and the men are barred. They buy such crap presents - either from the garage on their way into work or something their wives have shoved in the back of a cupboard. We spend a tenner and the man might get a small bottle of Jack Daniels, where the woman will get air freshener!

[agedknees]

I truly wimped out this year. Had the great idea of a £10 gift voucher which enabled the recipient to have a foot spa, then be nibbled by little fish.

But as I say, I wimped out and bought something boring (but I know the person loves them).

[panettoinydog]

pendulum, I messed up one year at a new place of work by getting an older woman a pair of joke hillbilly flashing teeth. What was I thinking. She looked totally pissed off.

This year I have put together a cheap, funny, personal thing and bought a v tasteful thing to go with it.

[oxocube]

But its supposed to be a bit of fun, isn't it? . Last year I got jelly penises (like jelly beans but slightly different!) which made me laugh. This year I ended up with 4 gifts as 2 people didn't like/want theirs and one lovely colleague saw how much I loved her little tea light holders and at the end of our lunch, she gave them to me

My own present was a lottery advent calendar where I could have won Eu 100,000 . I actually won Eu 2 but who cares - it was a lovely, fun gift. The only people I get cross with are the ones who don't bother at all - not even with cheapy chocs - because its just not in the spirit of Christmas!

[TartyMcFalalalalalalarty]

One year I got a crappy £2.99 Dr Who pen after I'd gone out and sent the recommended £10. Last year I spent a lot of time finding something humorous and themed for a male colleague, only for him not to turn up to the lunch at which we share presents. It's never been acknowledged. This time, something thoughtful if not really to my taste.

Can't really be arsed with it to be honest.

[5Foot5]

TBH the whole thing sounds completely cringe making and I am greatly releived that no-one has thought of it where I work.

A few years ago the company I worked in decided to do one but it was totally random, i.e. you contributed a wrapped gift that could suit anyone and then they were handed out at the party by Santa. That was the worst bit because one of the older blokes dressed as Santa and then insisted that when he called your name out you had to go and sit on his knee and tell him whether you had been good or bad this year. And no I donlt think it was just an excuse for him to lech the women because the majority of the people who worked there were men.....

[MyBrilliantCareer]

At my old work we used to do a little one every day for the last week before Christmas (opt in). It had to be a clue about who the giver was, so two melons was one, a condom was another from someone else, a small bottle of favourite alcohol etc and on the last day we all had to guess who it was.

I loved it!! Most staff willingly entered and it created a real buzz and social atmosphere.

[coodles]

1 year I got a voucher for books donation from oxfam. Worthy, but not really appropriate for a secret santa?

Ever year I seem to get things that are tacky and cheap without being funny.

Next year I want to bail out, but its difficult.............

[Megletitsnow]

yanbu.

I didn't participate in ours this year. I'm sure I will cope and my collegues will still speak to me.

[worldgonemad72]

before this year i would say yanbu as we do secret santa at work, usually its naff but this year everyone put 3 gifts they would like by their name, whoever picks that person has to buy one of the presents, so this year i will get something i actually want, not the freebie from the boots offer.

[sazlocks]

We did a homemade gifts or £5 this year and I am now the proud recipient of 3 different types of homemade chocs and a jar of marmalade. On that that basis I would have to say YABU