Some Surprises Aren’t So Delightful: Brits Share Their Least Wanted Secret Santa Gifts
Clothes are officially the most unwanted Secret Santa gift this Christmas, with 93% claiming it would be the worst thing to receive.
With office Christmas parties, socials and general festive activities well underway, it’s also the time for gifting, but what is the best way to approach Secret Santa this year? New research from greetings card marketplace thortful has found that 37% of people in the UK don’t actually like Secret Santa, and 50% can’t find gift inspiration so re-gift something they already own.
In November, there were 49,500 Google searches for “Secret Santa gift ideas” so we teamed up with thortful to find out which gift categories people want to receive the most, as well as give you thoughtful options for colleagues to try this December to get everyone into the festive spirit.
When asked which type of gift they would like to receive as a Secret Santa present, almost a third of Brits (30%) opted for food, such as chocolate, biscuits or nuts. Beauty and alcohol products came in joint second (17%), whilst homeware such as candles and trinkets (11%) ranked next. See the full list below:
| Which secret santa gift would you like to receive the most? | Percentage |
| Food (e.g. chocolate, biscuits, nuts etc.) | 30% |
| Beauty (e.g. bath bomb, toiletries, make up etc.) | 17% |
| Alcohol | 17% |
| Homewares (e.g. candles, trinkets etc.) | 11% |
| Electronics | 9% |
| Personalised gifts | 7% |
| Clothes (e.g. socks, scarf etc.) | 6% |
Considering the data, we have listed six gifts to suit all personality types below:
- Movie night in a box -You can rent tons of recently-released movies for under £5, which gives you some spare change to create a movie night in a box. Give credit or a gift card to a streaming service, a box of microwave popcorn, some sweet treats and maybe even a cute retro popcorn box.
- A ‘personalised’ calendar -This one will require a bit of prep work, but it’s bound to be a gift that will keep people laughing all year round. Buy a standard desk calendar, but ‘personalise’ it with some tongue-in-cheek annotations and imagery relating to yourselves, your workplace and any common ground you may have. This one is definitely the gift that keeps on giving.
- Photoshoot session –This gives your secret Santa receiver the opportunity to create something extremely sentimental. They can use it with family, friends or pets and capture memories that will last a lifetime.
- Plant-able flowers in a card -If you’re looking for an ‘oh, that’s a good idea!’ reaction – plant-able flowers in a card combines both the card and gift in one, whilst also blossoming all year round. Opt for this if you think flowers are the best choice for your secret Santa, and take it to the next level with thoughtfulness.
- Snow day survival kit -Although a white Christmas is looking unlikely, this care package is a perfect bundle to encourage people to relax and get as cosy as possible. Your kit can include a bath bomb, hot chocolate, biscuits, a face mask and more.
- Experiences – Depending on your budget, an experience day is the perfect option for those that love to be active and try new things. From afternoon teas, to paintballing, comedy night, bowling and more. Arranging a day out for your secret Santa is a fantastic way of giving them something to look forward to. It’s a thoughtful approach to gifting any of the generic themes such as food or drink.
Thortful also spoke with Kate Palmer, Employment Services Director at Peninsula to find out the do’s and don’ts when setting up a Secret Santa at work:
- Do set a budget that is inclusive for all. Remember junior members of the team may not make as much as more senior members and you don’t want anyone to feel excluded. If someone doesn’t want to take part, don’t make them. Not everybody celebrates Christmas or wants to participate in events like this, for whatever reason.
- Don’t buy anything sexual or suggestive – avoid sexual references even if you think it’s just ‘banter.’
- Do know your audience. You’re not buying for your best mates, and you don’t want to embarrass the recipient if gifts are exchanged and opened publicly. Remember with banter, what one person finds funny could cause deep offence to another. Try and stay neutral with your gifting if you don’t know the person
- Do put thought into your gift, but don’t assume. Get to know the person you’re buying for and their likes and dislikes, whether they drink alcohol or have any dietary restrictions such as vegan or vegetarian, so you can avoid gifts that won’t be inclusive of their lifestyle.
- Do ensure the draw is fair and anonymous. Use a platform such as Elfster or draw names from a hat, rather than assigning people yourself to avoid any suggestion of favouritism or bullying. If you get your boss, it can be tempting to buy something cheeky, but don’t!