- Joined
- Oct 31, 2010
- Messages
- 1,880
- Purraise
- 27
What confuses me is this: How do I know what to get someone if it is not one of my "friends"? I am not picky but how would they know what they would get me as well? Lastly are we supposed to send the gift well before or have it arrive for Christmas?Originally Posted by mrblanche
I see that there are several people who are unsure of exactly how this works. I'm going to attempt a brief explanation, and if anyone has any corrections, please jump in!
1. You send in your entry for the Secret Santa game/program/fun/silliness/chain letter/house party/baby shower/wedding shower/silliness...oh, wait, I already said that.
2. The PTB (Powers That Be) get all the entries and then match up some other person's entry with yours. It's not a reciprocal thing. In other words, you will have someone's name to send your Secret Santa gifts to, but they will not necessarily be the one sending gifts to you. That's why it's secret. Are the names just drawn out of a hat? Well, probably not. There is a certain amount of matching involved. For instance, if someone is located in the UK, they will likely get a recipient in the UK, unless they have said they are willing to ship overseas. Their SS will likely be in the same country, unless someone in another country said they are willing to ship overseas. This is to keep from causing a financial hardship on anyone.
3. Although the entry form asked for some hints, there will be a "Hint Thread" started once the SS matchups are made. That way, each person can post their preferences, clothes sizes, allergies, etc., in a public forum and each SS can look at that and get some ideas.
4. If you have some specific question about a gift, you can contact the Snoopers and they will contact your recipient to check for you. For example, last year I had an Ipod Shuffle I wanted to include in the gifts, but I had the Snooper check to be sure that was something my recipient would like to have.
5. You will send your gift in time to arrive by Christmas, if at all possible. Every year we have a few people who, due to emergencies, etc., don't mail in time or don't mail at all. It's not a disaster, although it's very disappointing for the recipient and embarrassing for the sender. If you find yourself in that situation, inform the PTB immediately when you realize you have a problem. They may contact others who will take up the slack, and they should (I think) ask early on for volunteers to fill in if someone has a problem. This is the internet; people disappear all the time, so we need to be prepared.
6. Some people go to great lengths to hide their identity from their recipient. Tricks like double-mailing (sending the gifts to someone else in the area to have it delivered, etc.), false names on packaging, etc., have been used in the past, although these days, shippers don't like it. I always figure it will come out eventually, so why be so cagey? But some people like to be sneaky. What can I say?
7. The gifts will start appearing very soon after the names are chosen. You can mail any time you want to.
8. When you receive it, take pictures of the package, the gifts, your furry helpers opening it, your kitties enjoying the gifts, you trying on the gifts, etc. That makes the enjoyment better for all the other members, and your Secret Santa will know they did good.
9. There are "dark siders" and "light siders." "Dark siders" are those who will open their gifts as soon as they get them. "Light siders" are those who want to wait until Christmas to open their gifts. We turn most erstwhile Light Siders into Dark Siders with our descriptions of our gifts.
10. One word about cost. Yes, there is a stated price limit on the gifts, and that is there to make it clear this is not about extravagance, but rather about making another member happy. You will see many Secret Santas spending way beyond the limit. Don't feel you have to. In fact, I know the most appreciated gifts are those that show thought, consideration, and an investment of self into the gift. One of my Secret Santas sent me a scrapbook they made about something I'm interested in, and it is one of my most prized possessions today. If you can afford to send a lot, that's great, and no one will criticize you. If you can barely afford the minimum and the shipping, that's great; we've all been there.
Any questions?
Thank you mega ditz me
I am sorry. Maybe they will let you play because you have so many post?Originally Posted by WELDRWOMN
Wow - I was going to sign up, but I actually haven't made 15 posts between the required dates...major bummer
