Just one disclaimer before I start this. I am happy for anyone who genuinely likes Secret Santa to continue to partake in it.

As you may have gathered from my thread title, I don't like Secret Santa much. It can mean buying a pointless present for someone we hardly know. Alternatively, a thoughtful present goes unacknowledged.

Secret Santa can also dumb down the meaning of Christmas presents coming just from special people. At work I have known people to partake in Secret Santa instead of exchanging Christmas cards.

I am sure plenty of other people do not like Secret Santa, but only partake in it out of a misguided pressure to conform, or even to be a slave to tradition.

I have therefore had a brainwave. Now that we live in this internet age of Facebook, Twitter, forums etc, why don't those of us who do not agree with Secret Santa say so more often online? Traditions only last as long as people continue them. So, the more momentum there is against Secret Santa, the less it will happen in the medium-term.

i have never understood this tradition of exchanging a fivers worth of tat with people, i always refuse to partake.

We only do Secret Santa in our family via the Elfster website. Takes the pressure of with each family member only having to buy one present.

It's a bit of fun and allows a bit of social interaction within the workplace, which can be good for morale. As long as nobody takes it seriously there's little danger of hurt feelings or feeling hard done by. I enjoy it myself.

At least for yourselves this is a thoughtful compromise rather than a public submission as it were.

So basically it just another "Campaign" to try and stop others doing something they want to do because you don't like it.

If you don't wish to partake then don't but it's worrying that you feel that you want to "Campaign" to change others to your way of thinking.

Let's start a campaign to stop controlling people and all be hypocrites for doing just that.

I always give a small box of Roses chocolates.

I remember my mother getting a huge bag of rubber bands as a secret santa present She was quite upset about it. All the worse for the fact she put a lot of thought into her contribution.

Nonetheless, I can't say I have any strength of opinion on the matter.

I actually started the thread by acknowledging and accepting people who genuinely like Secret Santa.

It is true generally though that traditions change as people's behaviour changes. So, a virtuous circle could yet potentially follow.

I think it depends on the current situation in the workplace. I used to find the whole thing a bit of a laugh. But now, having had our jobs taken away from us, and being made to competitively compete for new positions we are in a situation where there are lots of people who've been downgraded and lots of people in jobs they don't really want but need the money. In a shit atmosphere like that the whole secret Santa thing feels like forced fun and most people can't be arsed. Getting a random £5 gift doesn't really make up for losing £10k a year as has happened to quite a few.

The OP sounds like a man where I worked. Everybody was invited to join in and it was made quite clear nobody would be forced to contribute if they didn't want to. Even two of the Muslim staff wanted to join in as they said it sounded fun and interesting.

This person didn't want to play but as soon as he found out who had which person he blabbed to everybody. We decided to redraw the names but naturally wouldn't tell him and he threw a complete strop about being left out!

He even said it was our fault he ruined it for everybody as he was only playing the game!

Write an email to the CEO/MD with the Pros and Cons and Recommendations of allowing Secret Santa in the Workplace.

I'm sure it will be read with interest

We need a secret Grinch.

"Alright who put the dead hamster in my mulled wine?"

Once when I worked in an office, for Secret Santa I got someone who was a big driving and car enthusiast a nice pair of leather driving gloves - a bit over the ten pound limit but I knew they'd like them. Then they were off sick at the Christmas party when we opened the gifts and they just laid forgotten, unwrapped on the desk.

I myself opened a gift of a T-shirt with a cartoon egg on it and the caption 'I need to get laid'.

I like secret santa - well given that i'm the one that organizes it in the office it helps

One thing that does annoy me is people who take it too seriously. It's just a fun thing between work colleagues were we all have a gift to exchange at our christmas lunch. Don't get upset because someone didn't put hours of thought into their £10 gift - if you don't like it then throw it away and carry on living your life.

Id like to see the marketing of 'spite presents'. Purposely terrible presents, for people you dont like.....

Im in my 50s and I can honestly say that I have never heard of Secret Santa.

Am I missing out??

no.... not unless forced jollyness with a glass of schloer is your thing, whilst sweaty Brenda and the bilious bloke, who's name you can't remember, slow shuffle to wham whilst stuffing their guts with Tesco value mini sausages. the upside to all this though is you might get some crappy mug with a cheesy slogan that might just change your life.

Hate it, but I hate Christmas anyway.

i love Christmas but i loathe secret santa and crappy work do's.

Me neither until I was at a company in 2015, where I had to buy a box of LIDL fruit cocktail (<£2) for one of the directors. I got a bit of cheese and a miniature cheese board which I gave to my Mum. fair do's I say, just a bit of fun but not worth the effort really.

did it every year in the office i started out in and it was always well received

me and my mate used to buy extra presents for people we didn't have in the draw just for a laugh

Thats exactly the approach to take...indulge by all means but treat it as a bit of fun and don't stress about it. And dont 'expect' a decent present either...thats just not the point of it. If done correctly the person buying the present may not have any idea what sort of things you like, and to me thats part of the fun of it.

And lets be honest...in most cases people will get given stuff that they will kind of go 'Oh...that's nice', but it will sit on a shelf and never be used.

Last year I got a book of rap lyrics, and I knew the person who gave it to me knew I hated rap and therefore took it in good spirit.

Multimedia has my full support on loathing for this tacky modern idea. I bet it crossed the Atlantic.

A previous poster said it does no harm, and another person above mentioned the gloves they bought with a lot of thought only to see them left unopened when the intended person was a no show.

Well this happened to my own mum last Christmas. She put a lot of effort in a Secret Santa gift for someone she barely even knew. Come the time he never even showed up to receive his gift and it was tossed aside. My mum was quite hurt by that and insisted on it being given back to her rather than someone else bagging an extra rather nice present. I'd already tried to persuade her last year not to waste her time on it and was proved correct. No more Secret Santa's for her this year or ever again.

I have never done and would never do a Secret Santa myself. If anyone approached me to do so they would be dismissed out of hand. I'm actually a rather generous giver at Christmas and in no way miserly with present giving and thought.

There doesn't need to be a campaign and neither should there be. Let others do as they please. But if people stop doing this then it will die out naturally anyway. Everyone has free choice on it and should not feel intimidated by others and bend to peer pressure to take part.

Secret Santa, just naff....off!

What is it about this particular forum that attracts the vast number of socially stunted 'members' who have nothing better to do than whine and moan about other people indulging in a bit of innocent fun?