Whether names are pulled out of a hat or drawn using an online generator, Secret Santa has become a common part of the Christmas season’s festivities for friend groups and families. This activity consists of a group of people randomly assigning each other a person for whom they will prepare a gift. The anonymity of the activity allows for surprised and ecstatic reactions.
Partaking in an activity like Secret Santa can act as an opportunity for students to reconnect with one another after a term of solely focusing on academics. Throughout the school year, students may be unable to unwind and familiarize themselves with their peers due to classroom restrictions. Senior Sarah Strunk Andazola traditionally does Secret Santa every year with her string orchestra class and sees the activity as a way to bond with people she was priorly unable to socialize with.
“It is really just a good way for us as a class to build stronger connections with each other because we’re with each other the whole year,” Andazola said. “We play at several concerts and several festivals throughout the year, and sometimes you don’t really get that connection because you’re sitting across the class.”
A main factor of Secret Santa’s continuous popularity is its involvement of multiple participants. Unlike an activity that consists of one or two people, Secret Santa is usually carried out by five or more.
Doing things in a group can create a sense of community and can make shared activities memorable, according to art teacher Neil Woodman. He credits Secret Santa’s ability to create interconnections as a main reason for the activity’s success.
“You’re doing these things (Secret Santa) with other people in a group, so it all makes you feel together, like a sense of community,” Woodman said. “That’s one reason why we all go to school together because when we learn together. It’s easier and better and more fun, and you have the community here at school. Same thing with the Secret Santa.”
With emphasis on anonymity and a wide range of gift possibilities, those involved in Secret Santa do not ever know what they may be getting. Science teacher Sara Carvalho participates in Secret Santa with her family and White Elephant, an activity similar to Secret Santa, with other SCHS science teachers.
Carvalho recognized that although she is surrounded by people she cares about, the surprise factor of the gift giving process can result in a person being left with a gift they have zero interest in.
“I think the trickiest part is if there is no money limit, you can get a really wide variety of gifts,” Carvalho said. “You might get something that somebody just really didn’t want, and it’s kind of crappy and nobody wants it.”
There are multiple difficulties Secret Santa participants may run into. The activity’s focus on materialistic gifts may not appeal to those like Woodman who do not place value in purchasable goods.
“As I get older, the monetary gifts are not as meaningful. It’s better to spend time with people. For me, I think that’s the best gift. It’s, ‘Let’s go eat a meal together. Let’s go do something together.’ That’s the important thing. Those are the things that I like more,” Woodman said. “The monetary stuff, it’s not as good as spending time with people.”
During the holiday season, families often have set traditions they continue each year, varying from making gingerbread houses to hosting family dinners and opening Christmas presents. Secret Santa is noted for its flexibility in not necessarily being a serious tradition but more of a lighthearted activity.
“I feel like the holidays get very serious and time consuming and ‘Oh my god, I gotta go buy a present for this person and gotta make sure they like it,’ and it just gets really overwhelming,” Carvalho said. “I think for us (science department teachers), our White Elephant is very lowkey, and it’s just fun. It gets silly and everybody’s laughing.”
Holiday celebrations can often have the spotlight on events like Christmas tree decorating or church visits. Senior William Fleig has a tradition of having a White Elephant with his cousins and Secret Santa with his friends and classmates. Rather than being the center focus, Fleig noted how Secret Santa can be seen as an informal side activity.
“I don’t really know that many people that have it as a tradition. Usually there’s eggnog or present wrapping or just a bunch of traditions, but those ones are more like a party game,” Fleig said. “It’s (Secret Santa) more like a party game, or something you do on a whim.”
Similar to Carvalho and Fleig, Andazola noted Secret Santa’s ability to be casual but also highlighted how the activity can be customizable depending on the participants. The activity can additionally foster a setting for building bonds and deepening connections.
“Secret Santa is done with friends and coworkers, and you can make it however you want – you can make it really serious, you can make it really funny and you can do gag gifts,” Andazola said. “Secret Santa is just a way for us to have that bonding, and I really enjoy it.”