OMG I've messed up on the Secret Santa

[Nopreservatives]

I know, it's the end of Jan, can't believe I'm still having to think about it.

Draw done through an app thing early Nov. I was all pleased with myself for getting organised early, but then the gift giving was postponed because of lockdown. Organiser is a very keen senior member of staff, we were never going to get away without doing it. There's been some very complex logistics around getting all the presents where they're supposed to be and we're supposed to be opening them on line this afternoon.

We're only a small group and it's been noted that one man doesn't have a gift. I'm not entirely sure how it happened but I seem to have bought for the person I was drawn (via the same app) last year. I should have bought for this man.

Do I own up? Hastily wrap a bottle of wine and get it there somehow? I'm wfh. Own up and take a proper gift later in the week but then the secret element is gone?

I think I've had a reprieve. It's been decided to delay it till next week to give "someone" the chance to bring their gift in. There's also one other present missing, apparently, so I'm not the only one.

Thinking I needed to do this urgently, I've put together quite a nice looking hamper, using a basket we got a Christmas, with a very good bottle of red and a regifted jokey present about being bored in lockdown. I think that's probably as good as I would have done for this man with all the time in the world TBH. Or would two bottles of less good wine be better? Limit was £15 and I've gone over that if I'd actually bought any of it

This is resourcefulness, right?

We do Dirty Santa in our team, which is usually much more fun that Secret Santa (although you obviously need to be together for it).

www.southernliving.com/christmas/party/dirty-santa-rules#:~:text=%231%20selects%20a%20gift%20from,or%20choose%20a%20wrapped%20gift.

The only thing to worry about is making sure there are enough gifts for people, and there has only been one occasion where the organiser has rushed to the shops to buy some chocolates and wine because there was a gift missing (and that was to cover someone on mat leave to make sure she could open a present too)

I would own up to the organiser, explaining that you accidentally bought for last years person. I organise a SS every year and I can see who has who on the app or website if I want to.

Ooops! If I were you'd I'd put a little extra in the hamper.

This reminds me of a Secret Santa a few years ago at a school I worked at. The box for picking names from was in the staff room and the day before the Christmas party I noticed there was still a name in it, so at least one person wasn't receiving a gift. I popped out and found a lovely scarf that normally sold for the spending limit we had but was in the sale, so even better. Got that, put it in a gift bag and added a couple of bottles of wine we'd been given as presents and wouldn't use so there were extras in case anyone else had forgotten (as usual). Passed these to the person organising it and told them someone's name was left and to use these. They labelled the scarf and took the wine in bottle bags in case they were needed. At the pub they checked the pile of presents to make sure everyone had something, they needed to use the wine!

It was the first year in ages where everyone got a present for Secret Santa.

The best part was, when I turned up at school the next day I saw someone wearing the scarf and telling everyone how nice it was. Made my day.

If he likes wine I'd keep it as it is rather than two cheaper bottles of wine instead.

The hamper sounds like more thought has gone into it than the two cheap bottles of wine.