Even though you’ll likely be packing your suitcase and heading back to your hometown for Christmas, there is still plenty of opportunity in December to celebrate the festive season with your flatmates and the friends you’ve made on your course. Secret Santa is a fantastic way of doing this, especially as most students are living on a tight budget.
What is Secret Santa?
Just in case you’re not sure, here’s the lowdown on Secret Santa. Get your gang together and write everyone’s names on a slip of paper – or go digital and use an online name generator! You’ll each pick a name, and that will be the person you buy a gift for. Remember, the clue’s in the name: it’s Secret Santa, so don’t tell your recipient that it’s them you’re buying for…
Set a budget – £5, £10, £15 etc – and then it’s time to go shopping and pick out something you think your person will love. When it comes to the type of gifts people usually buy for this sort of thing, they’re generally funny/silly/joke-y gifts. But they don’t have to be!
Then, it’s time to set a date and enjoy a Christmassy night in together as you swap presents in your group. Put a festive film on, enjoy some themed snacks and drinks, and unwrap your gifts.
Secret Santa Gift Ideas
Obviously, when it comes to buying Secret Santa gifts, you want to consider the person’s likes and interests, their personality, what they study, the foods they like and so on. But if you’re really stuck for ideas, or it’s someone you just don’t know all that well, here are some generic gift ideas that will definitely be appreciated!
Food & drink
You can’t go wrong with food and drink as a present, such as:
- A bottle of their favourite wine or spirit
- A themed hamper – if they love peanut butter, for example, create a little hamper with loads of peanut butter flavoured/filled snacks
- Rare sweets/food/drinks e.g American or Australian ‘candy’
- A hot drink gift set
Gift sets
Already put together AND easy to wrap, gift sets might seem like a bit of a cop-out… but they can be really well received if you put some thought into it. Your flatmate who is obsessed with make-up? A lip liner and lipstick duo could be ideal for them. That one flatmate who’s always cooking up a storm? See if you can buy a herbs, spices or sauce gift set!
You’ll find gift sets for just about every interest – and it’ll make your life a little bit easier in the run up to Christmas…
Vouchers
Simple but effective, a nicely wrapped gift voucher can be a fantastic Secret Santa idea for a cash-strapped student. Whether it’s for the local nail salon, a nearby café or restaurant they like to visit, a book shop… allowing them the freedom to buy themselves a treat in the future when they’re low on funds is a lovely idea. Wrap it up with a nice bar of chocolate and you’re good to go!
Will you be participating in Secret Santa this year? It’s definitely a wonderful way to get in the Christmas spirit while still at university…
