Organize a Secret Santa in 6 steps
Pick the exchange date
Family dinner, office party or video call: set the day everyone will give their gift. Draw names two to four weeks before, so there’s time to find a gift and have it delivered.
Set a shared budget
Announce a range before the draw, for example $15 to $25 (or the same in pounds or euros). Nobody feels awkward, and no gift outshines the others.
List the participants
You need at least three people. An odd number is fine: everyone gives to one person and receives from another, without making pairs.
Agree on the rules before the draw
Can couples draw each other? Are two-way draws allowed? Will you reveal who had whom at the end? Decide now with the group: changing the rules after the draw means redoing it.
Draw names in secret
Paper slips in a hat or an online draw: each person should only know who they’re buying for, and nobody should land on their own name. Online, everyone sees their draw on their own phone, even from far away.
Share wish lists, then exchange
A wish list, a few favorite things and a size help people get it right without spoiling the surprise. On the day, everyone gives their gift; then you guess, or reveal, who had whom.
Paper slips or an online draw?
Both work. An online draw mostly fixes the classic problems with paper slips:
| Situation | Paper slips | Online draw |
|---|---|---|
| Someone draws their own name | Start over | Impossible |
| Keeping a couple apart | Impossible without cheating | One exclusion does it |
| People far away | Everyone must be there | Everyone sees their name at home |
| Keeping the secret | As long as nobody peeks | Each person only sees their own draw |
| Someone joins after the draw | Start over | Depends on the tool; in Rimbi, only one person’s draw changes |
Run your Secret Santa with Rimbi
Name draw with exclusions, guests without the app by text or email, wish lists and group gifts. Free for up to 20 people, no ads.
Coming soon to iPhone and Android
With family, friends or coworkers
The idea is the same everywhere. What changes is the budget and what to plan for:
| Group | Suggested budget | Plan for |
|---|---|---|
| Family | $20 to $50 | Couples and kids: exclusions, and a parent helping the youngest |
| Friends | $15 to $30 | Friends who live far apart: an online draw, and gifts sent by mail if needed |
| Coworkers | $10 to $15 | People who barely know each other: a wish list, and gifts that suit anyone |
These amounts are guidelines, in dollars or the same in pounds or euros, not a rule: what matters is that the budget suits everyone and is announced before the draw.
On exchange day
Get together, in person or on a video call, and open the gifts one at a time. Before saying thank you, the person opening can try to guess who their Secret Santa was: it’s often the best part of the evening.
Then you have two options: keep the secret forever, or reveal who had whom. Decide before the draw so nobody is caught off guard. In Rimbi, the organizer picks the reveal in advance: everyone finds out who their Secret Santa was, or the whole gift chain is shown.
Mistakes to avoid
- Drawing names before everyone has confirmed. One person more or less and you have to start over.
- Announcing the budget after the draw. Some people will already have bought their gift.
- Forgetting exclusions. Two partners drawing each other, and the surprise falls flat.
- Posting the results in the group chat. One message in the wrong place and the secret is gone: everyone should see their name privately.
- Setting the exchange too close to the draw. People need time to find an idea and have it delivered.
- Letting the organizer know everything. If they’re playing, they should see their own draw like everyone else, and nothing more.
Frequently asked questions
How many people do you need for Secret Santa?
At least three, with no maximum. An odd number works perfectly: the draw doesn’t make pairs, everyone gives to one person and receives from another. With three, though, everyone can work out the whole chain; the secret really holds from four people.
When should you draw names?
Two to four weeks before the exchange: early enough to find a gift and have it delivered, late enough that nobody forgets. For a Christmas exchange, a draw in late November or early December works well.
Can the organizer take part without knowing the results?
Yes, with an online draw: names are drawn automatically and each person only sees their own result, organizer included. With paper slips, the organizer has to draw like everyone else and not look at anything.
Does everyone need to be together for the draw?
No. With an online draw, everyone sees who they’re buying for on their own phone, through a link sent by text or email, or in an app. You only need to get together on exchange day, or mail the gifts.
What if someone drops out after the draw?
Either you redo the draw and everyone finds out their new name, or you adjust it discreetly: in Rimbi, only one person’s draw changes, and the organizer doesn’t know whose.