Worst Secret Santa ever

At work we had a secret santa drawn at the Christmas party. The you chap from HR was Santa and insisted the ladies sat on his lap . I cottoned on to this and just never put my name in the pot so got nothing back . One friend did sit on his knee and he whispered to her " Mmmm this is nice " Would not get away with it now .

I must have been lucky then because I received some really nice presents; we all picked a ticket out of a hat with the name of the recipient, so we knew who we were buying for, although the giver was anonymous. We never did find out the person who gave a pair of see-through knickers to a very prudish member of staff. One year the Deputy decided, of his own volition, that we would all donate £5 to a charity of his choice, Oxfam, the same year he tried to ban staff and children sending each other Christmas cards. It killed it stone dead because no one likes being told they MUST donate, and people prefer to choose their own charity.

Would it not be better (in work/club environment) to collect in £5 from everybody and asked each person to write out a ticket with a reg charity of their choice.

One ticket drawn out of a hat and all money collected would go to that particular charity
Oh dear Cherrtytree I once suggested that for a GN meet up and was shot down in flames
I still think it’s a good idea - there are only so many £5 or charity shop trinkets a person could possibly want!

In the GP surgery where I worked in 1980s, we had a very, ahem, hands on/gropey practice manager.
For his secret Santa his parcel contained an inflatable bath pillow in the shape of female breasts, with a label reading “now perhaps you”ll keep your hands off ours”. He was very contrite, it certainly did the trick.

Cherrytree59 you’re right, you haven’t missed out!

I’ve only done it twice and in different jobs, each time I bought a nice present that, even if you didn’t like it, you could’ve passed it on without any sniffiness! It doesn’t take two minutes to find out whether champagne, chocolate or flowers are the best option does it?

I don't think I have every been part of SS gifting.

Reading this thread I don't think I have missed out

Would it not be better (in work/club environment) to collect in £5 from everybody and asked each person to write out a ticket with a reg charity of their choice.

One ticket drawn out of a hat and all money collected would go to that particular charity.

As we are a small family the need for a SS has not risen, but can see how it would work quite well in a bigger family.

We give both adult children and spouses joint money at C word,.
Our three grandchildren have presents from the letter via the man in red suit.

When at work we all went out for a C Lunch/meal

With friends and my sister we go for C word lunch/meals
(Some after the event)

Job as the say done ✔

The last time my Mum took part in a secret santa (with a £5.00 limit) she received a candle from a local bargain store with the price tag still on it - £1.80. She loathes candles so was absolutely furious and threw it straight in the bin. She vowed never to join one again!

Merseybelle

Oh absolutely! She couldn’t wait to go out and scatter them on the frozen earth

Slug pellets ! Priceless ! And so useful at Christmas.

My friend received a dusty candle holder complete with a candle that had already been used

A rather attractive young lady in the office received a pair of glamorous, silky, mauve, somewhat revealing pyjamas. Rather awkward. We never did find out who sent them but had a vague idea.

A friend of mine once received a packet of slug pellets!

We don’t do it, thank goodness.

Why bother with Secret Santa? I imagine lots of people would be glad not to have the faff of buying an extra present, but no doubt that makes me a killjoy.
?

Never found out who put it in lemon but I suppose the committee people must’ve known as they numbered the gifts . Someone on my table said that I should’ve made a huge thing of getting up and throwing it in the bin but I was just so embarrassed .

I should think men, especially, would have zero interest in buying Secret Santa presents for the (office) staff. We actually put up a list with 3 suggestions of things we'd like within the price range, so we usually get decent stuff.

I bought a can of vanilla scented air freshener for the Secret Santa. On opening her gift, the lady that received it lifted up her arm and sprayed her armpit thinking it was deodorant. I never said a word, cos it was secret wasn’t it?

Many years ago I once got a collection of plastic flowers - the sort you used toget free with packets of washing powder.

Many years ago in one of my jobs we were told, not asked, to buy a present with a limit of £5 for the Secret Santa and to pick a name out of a hat. I bought a small bottle of M&S champagne for £4.99 and wrapped it up with name of the recipient.

As presents were being handed out, there wasn’t one for me so some tightwad got away with buying zilch but worse, the woman who bullied/organised it, is the one who waltzed off with the champagne!

I remember one where the present was a notebook that had already been used!

It was an awful stunt gilly did you ever find out who the culprit was?

Yes lemon you could be right ! It was filthy and absolutely hideous and the faces around the table were priceless . I admit to feeling quite hurt at the time as though I was the brunt of a huge joke but I suppose anyone could’ve picked that number out !

Or lifted it from a snowman gilly ?

Last year I posted about my secret Santa present at WI MerseyBelle . It was the kind where everyone just picks a number . out of the hat and get the relevantly numbered present . I just wanted the floor to open up and swallow me when I opened mine right there and then (as everyone else did), only to reveal the smelliest, scruffiest old scarf you have ever seen ! The faces around the table were priceless and I felt very embarrassed . It was as though someone had forgotten to bring anything and took their old scarf off and wrapped it in a bit of scraggy paper .

Nooooooooo!

The C word, and S.... S.... are not suitable topics for discussion in August!