Family Secret Santa without the re-draws
· 2 min read
One exchange for the whole family. Partners never draw each other, everyone keeps a wish list, and you can ask the person you drew about sizes without them knowing it is you.
Exclusions do the awkward part
Every family draw has rules nobody writes down. Couples should not get each other. Siblings who swapped last year want someone new. With a hat, someone draws their spouse and the whole table starts again.
In Humbugg the organizer sets the pairs who should not match before the draw, and the draw respects all of them.
Wish lists Grandma can fill in
Each person adds ideas with a link and a rough price, their likes and sizes, and anything to avoid, such as allergies or a third scarf. Everyone joins from the invitation link in a browser and signs in with a code sent to their email.
Ask about sizes, anonymously
After the draw, each person has two private conversations. One is with the person they drew, by name. The other is with whoever drew them, shown only as “Your Secret Santa”. So you can ask your uncle whether he already owns the book, and he can tell you, and the surprise holds.
If someone would rather not be asked, they can turn questions about their gift off with one switch.
Families across the country
If gifts are sent by mail, each person can add a mailing address, which only their Secret Santa sees after the draw. Givers mark the gift sent and the recipient marks it arrived.