<rings festive bells<adjusts fairy lights> Gather one, gather all, for the Mumsnet Secret Santa 2015!

[SandyMumsnet]

Oh the weather outside is frightful,
but Mumsnetters are so delightful,
since we've no place to go,
let gifts flow, let gifts flow, let gifts flow...

Yes, folks, it's that most wonderful time of the year: the day we launch the Mumsnet Secret Santa! True, it's only the end of September, but Santa requires plenty of time to prepare his sleigh

Secret what, you say? You mean you don't KNOW? Grab a snifter of gin and a cinnamon danish and come sit by us while we tell you all about it.

The way it works is this: we ask Mumsnetters to nominate a fellow Mumsnetter* - someone who's had a tough time recently, perhaps, or someone who has been a fantastic source of support to others - to receive a Christmas gift. At the same time, we also ask for gift donations. Once the nominations and donation offers have come in, we at MNHQ match nominees with donors, and contact the donors to tell them where to send their gifts. Et voila: Merry Christmas, everyone.

And just to be clear: this really is a SECRET Santa. Thanks to our tinselled-up tech team, everyone who takes part in the process is anonymous: special Christmas codenames are assigned at the start to both nominee and donor. Neither the team working on matching up nominees to donors nor the donor sending out the present will have anyone's name or username details, and only those who donate will see the address (and only the address - not the username) of the nominee they've been matched with. Security is our number one priority - if you've any questions or concerns, please do ask on the thread (or email us at [email protected]).

But back to the gifts. This year we've created a special

Secret Santa Christmas grotto

where you'll find all the information you need on how to get involved, an explanation of how this annual feat of logistical wonderment works, and an account of how it came about in the first place.

The grotto is also the place where you can make your nomination (at any time between now and October 15th ) and/or pledge to donate (up until 30th October). There are more details about what sort of thing you might wish to give over there too (vouchers are always a good idea), but basically, every gift is welcome. The idea is to spread some festive cheer and make a Mumsnetter's Christmas that little bit more joyful by showing them that they're in your thoughts.

Now, if you'll excuse us, we have something in our eyes.

*Nominated Mumsnetters do need to have been around for six months. We'll be able to see from our end if that's the case, even if they've namechanged.

@BathshebaDarkstone

Just to clarify: Do I need to state the specific item that I'm donating? If not I can fill it in now!

Go for it! It's not essential to be specific it just helps with the matching. But totally fine to decide later on.

Bathsheba

Duly noted

MNHQ I didn't mean are you going to vet nominations, did I? Duh.

I meant, are you going to vet donors, given that they get the address of a nominated MNer.

I have never participated before, but I hate the thought of Jeffrey stopping people getting little bits of cheer. It's like he's won (totally don't blame those that are nervous though!) so count me in. Ooh I'm excited now! No idea what I'm Going to donate mind - do you do an entire family or just the mumsnetter?

Great, off to do it now!

For people who are really anxious, it's probably possible to use those lockers outside places like Sainsburys. A courier drops the time off and you get emailed the code to open the locker. Although I think you only get 48 hours to collect.

Sorry that's me saying I cocked up, up there in my previous post ^^ - not criticising anyone but myself for being incoherent.

I agree it is a lovely idea, but I am nervous this year.

I've registered to donate and nominated. Screw Jeffrey. I like feeling warm and fuzzy.

Queenbean glad that's clear...

Done

donated and nominated.

@Electrolux2

I think lots of people deregged and then rejoined. Some under the same or very similar usernames ( like me) Can HQ give an update as to security of PM's now please? Have you changed things? Of course nothing is 100% secure but it would be good to know what has changed and whether they feel things are more secure now than they were.

Hiya Electrolux2,
An important question. We can confirm that no addresses will be sent via PM. Any addresses provided to MNHQ will be temporarily stored within the Secret Santa system and then disposed of securely on completion, which realistically, will be February.

Hiya everyone,

It's a complete joy to watch the numbers creep up on the nomination and donation pages. Thank you to all of you lovely lot for embracing the love and taking part in Secret Santa this year.
Our new Secret Santa grotto should answer all of your queries, but as always, you are most welcome to drop us a line at [email protected] and we will be happy to help you. [santa]

ive nominted as always :)

I am not a fan, not because of the security stuff but because, like NorthernMountain and others, I don't like the popularity contest aspect of it. I would like to see MN do an official collection for Women's Aid as they must be the organisation posters are advised to seek help from most often on here and that alone surely creates extra work and costs for them. Plus you would know your donation is going to help out a woman, and potentially her children, who have been in real difficulty.

I adore the MN secret Santa and have taken part for quite a few years. Sadly, I am not in a position to help this year but I hope to be back on the donor list next year!

But there isn't a "popularity contest", not really - because it's all anonymous/anonymised.

So say I nominated you, Tendon - no one other than you and MNHQ would know that I had done so, because on the threads about it, you would be given an alternative code name/number to use. As would I, so no one would know I was a donor/nominator/recipient.

The only "popularity contest" bit would be if you didn't receive a nomination and felt hurt by it - but why would you?! I was shocked to get a nomination one year, truly shocked - I didn't understand why anyone would bother to nominate me, but there it was. Tried to reject it in favour of more deserving UK recipients, but wasn't allowed to. I suppose it's a different story if you somehow feel that you deserve a nomination but don't get one - but then that would be your own "fault", wouldn't it.

Every year there is a thread saying "thank you" for nominating.
So to be honest everyone knows who has been nominated.

The actual donator might be anonymous but the rest isn't.

Then we have threads from people who were not nominated complaining that it's not fair.

Then the threads complaining that the gift didn't turn up, the person didn't say thank you, someone else got a better gift.

I think it's turned into something that it shouldn't be. It should be a nice thing.

That's still not everyone though, is it. But I take your point.

of course it's a popularity contest, also, given that people who are nominated are people who are considered to be living in harder times, it stands to reason that those who are nominated are those who post about the more difficult parts of their lives on here. To the extent that if someone posts at this time of year how hard a time they are having there is automatically an assumption that it's because mn secret santa is around the corner.

so someone could be a lovely well thought of poster who offers much help/support on here but who may themselves be in a difficult situation. But if they never post about it they will never be nominated because they won't be seen to be going through a hard time iyswim.

I think MNHQ are going to need a grinch emoji soon...

I don't think everyone that is nominated it having a hard time. I nominated someone one year because I liked their posts and they made me laugh, nothing to do with support or having a difficult life. They cheered me up.