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In many groups, the tradition of anonymously exchanging New Year’s gifts has taken root. This can bring sincere joy to all participants in the undertaking, but we are also not immune from strange surprises. We have collected stories of greed, secret antipathy and even just retribution, reflected in the gifts of colleagues and acquaintances who were not afraid to be recognized.
A bit of history
«Secret Santa» (in English Secret Santa), Secret Santa Claus, Chris Kindle or Chris Kringle, and also, oddly enough, «Polyanna» (named after the kind heroine of a children’s book) — the name for the tradition of anonymous gift exchange at Christmas or New Year.
The participants of this game, which in our country is most often played at work or at a festive meeting of the extended family, are called in the same way. In Latin America in the course of another apt name — «Invisible Friend».
And if all participants sympathize with each other, then the game can give them considerable pleasure.
Why are we doing this?
Giving gifts is no less pleasant than receiving. Especially if during the draw you get someone nice and familiar and you have the opportunity to think of what will please him, and at the same time feel like a good person. Both psychologists and Buddhists agree: when we help someone or do something good for another, we ourselves receive a “dose of positivity”.
Waiting for a gift is a great period for the production of dopamine, the “pleasure hormone”, which is actively produced by the body in anticipation of something pleasant.
And how great it is to receive a present that is selected taking into account our preferences and features! It helps to feel understood, accepted, meaningful and valued by someone. And the most intriguing thing is that it is not known from whom exactly. Perhaps this is the boss showing respect for you in this way, or maybe that new employee in the blue sweater likes you very much.
In any case, the organizers of this story, of course, want everyone to have a festive mood and positive emotions. But this does not always work out.
We have collected 6 stories about strange gifts people received from Secret Santa.
1. A book for a single man
Valera, 44 years old: “That year I went through a divorce. Colleagues knew about this, although I did not particularly expand on family problems. And on December 30, the last working day of the year, we celebrate a holiday in the office — and this story begins with gifts under the Christmas tree. My name is written on the package, I open it — and inside there is a weighty volume on housekeeping for novice housewives!
2. A box of chocolates from distant ancestors
Tamara, 40 years old: “I’ll start the story by saying that I work in a large company, where the salaries are quite decent, and then everyone received a bonus for the fourth quarter. We held Secret Santa for the first time, and it was such a pleasant, as in childhood, expectation that there would be some nice trinket under the Christmas tree. But I received a box of chocolates wrapped in gift paper. The chocolate inside was covered with a white coating, and the expiration date on the box had long expired … «
2. Prediction as a gift
Irina, 29 years old: “I was 25, I had just got married, so far we had no plans for the near future, except to build a career and earn a living. But on New Year’s Eve, someone at the office anonymously gave me a baby rattle. It was such a strange gift. At first, I was seriously offended — they consider me infantile, or how is this to be understood? A couple of days later I found out that I was expecting a baby. How did they guess? Some kind of mystic.»
3. What is in my name to you?
Oleg, 31: “Last year Secret Santa gave me a keychain with the name Max on it at work. Such a beautiful … Only my name is Oleg!
4. Flight of fantasy
Denis, 37 years old: “In the mailing list of the office manager about the game of secret Santa, it was said that the value of the gift should be around 500 rubles. It seems that everyone spends the same amount. Apparently, my Santa either could not think of anything, or decided that it would be witty: in the box, among a pile of packaging material, there was a piece of paper for 500 rubles.
5. Do not waste the same good
Daria, 26 years old: “This is a story about my boyfriend’s family. Last New Year’s Eve, I bought his grandmother a cozy warm blanket. In the summer, my grandmother, alas, died. And six months later, at a New Year’s family gathering, I received from an anonymous donor (I think it was his aunt) … my plaid!
6. Sweet hint
Nina, 35 years old: “We had a rather unpleasant employee in our company. When he drank, he would definitely hit on someone. Apparently, he finally got all the women. And on New Year’s Eve, «secret» (or «secret») Santa gave him caramel in the form of … a male genital organ. He opened it in front of everyone — already stained from resentment. Well, at least we had a good laugh.»