To hate secret Santa?

[Abbicob]

This year gifts are up to a maximum of £10.

Whatever happened to the secret Santa where you had a £1 gift limit and you had to buy the best thing you could for it .

I used to love finding really great "unusual" gifts and now it just seems like buying any other gift now.

I opted out this year

Last year, the self-appointed organisers sent round an email, instructing everyone that they must put some thought into presents, and not just but boring stuff Luke smellies and chocolates

She then for really cross because her gift was a book about something random and uninteresting. She always buys summat rude

I just really really can't be arsed

this is the ten pound secret santa present

silly and useful.

Office SS is utterly unnecessary and a pointless waste of money

Not necessarily. I generally get something quite nice and put a lot of thought into my gift.

In any case, last year it was the only present I got (long story)

I have to organise SS and personally hate it, quite like the stealable Santa idea though.

My manager told me a hilarious story about when they bought a receptionist edible knickers and made her parade up and down with them dangled in front of her skirt

Ah, the shortbread wars of 2007.
Secret Santa bought (very) scottish colleague box of fancy shortbread.
Scottish colleague went ballistic - saying someone had only bought shortbread as she came from scotland and it was basically racist etc etc,
Donor then reminded Ms Haggis that she had been waxing lyrically in the staff room about how much she liked shortbread and that was the reason that it had been bought for her.

Ever since shortbread has been on the office shopping list for Christmas.

we used to do stealable santa. was very funny, but we had slightly different rules, if you were stolen from, you could steal or choose form pile. Could not steal back from the person who ahd stolen from you though.

We had very low limit (£1-£2) as the point was the game not the gift.

The rule was, it has to be funny or ridiculous - or nice-, but not horrible.

we used to meet for a party at someones house (we were quite civilised bunch) and did it after dinner.

we called it White Elephant Santa

funniest gift was jam jar with tiny goldfish in it (plus gravel, tiny pond weed etc)

I refuse to participate this year because for the last two years , i have been last to 'pick' and on both occasions got the boss - whose name had been unfolded and put back in the box so may times it was barely legible

stealable santa is called a Yankee Swap here,its what everyone does,you cant take back a gift that was taken from you

Buy lottery tickets and stick them to a box of chocolates or a bottle of wine. So much better than random rubbish that ends up in the bin.

mameulah - wereas lottery tickets are a really good investment and not like throwing money away at all....

themed?

they had red one year, so someone was bought a santa candle, someone a bottle of ketchup, red socks. etc
they had "something that makes a noise" (I did a squeaky dog toy because the recipient had a dog)

steppemum - But at least there is still hope with a lottery ticket. I can't bear Secret Santa!

Dh's family decided (or rather one dil decided) that small presents weren't worth getting so they ought to do it so they get one big present rather than 3 smaller ones.
So they each get given a person, whom they then ask exactly what they want and get the said item from the shop they are told to.

Dh opted out. Said it didn't really seem in the spirit of Christmas-they might as well just agree they'll all buy themself something and not bother with present.

I have strong suspicion that said dil (who organises who gets who) probably makes sure she gets pil who tend to spend more than the others (particularly them) on present.

At my work we'd had enough so instead of SS everyone had to donate something to the food bank. It worked out really well, was glad that my donation was going to a good cause than something tatty that would prob just get thrown away !

I once got the boss' son for secret Santa. He was known for his preference for being high. I was soooo tempted to buy him a bag of sherbet and some acid drops! I chickened out though! His mother terrified me!

I hated SS because I made an effort, only to be given smellies :(

CANESTON THRUSH!!