How to play Secret Santa correctly

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

Secret Santa is a great way to please family, friends and colleagues without going broke. Hannah Frye, professor of mathematics at the University of London and author of The Mathematics of Love, explains how to conduct the perfect exchange of gifts and be sure to remain anonymous.

« Secret Santa " ("Secret Santa", "Chris Kindle") is a New Year's game in which a group of people exchange gifts anonymously. Usually, Secret Santa is played at work, with large families or with friends, as it is a great opportunity to limit the number and value of gifts.

Secret Santa rules:

1. For each participant, we make a card of two equal parts.
2. Above we write "You are number X", and below "You are giving a gift to number X". The numbers on the halves must match. If it says “You are number 1” on the top, then “You are giving a gift to number 1” at the bottom.
3. We put the sheets with the inscriptions down and mix.
4. We lay them out in one row, without turning them over, and cut each card in half.
5. After that, we swap the upper halves, moving them to the right or left, and glue the resulting cards.
6. Now each participant can choose a card for himself.
7. We make a list where everyone writes their name and the received number.
8. We negotiate the amount that everyone is ready to spend on gifts.

The anonymity of the gift exchange is guaranteed as you shuffled the cards before cutting them. And the numbers above and below will not match, so no one will pull themselves out.

Happy game, friends!