How to Run a Secret Santa (Rules, Budgets & a Free Generator)

Secret Santa is the great equaliser of the office and the family group chat: everyone buys one gift, everyone gets one, and nobody goes broke. Here's how to run one that actually works.

The basics

Everyone's name goes in a hat; each person draws one name in secret and buys a gift for that person only, to an agreed budget. On the day, gifts are handed out — often with guessing about who gave what. One gift each, maximum fun, minimum spend.

Setting the budget

£10–£20 is the classic range. Agree it up front and stick to it — the whole point is that everyone spends roughly the same. Too low and it's all novelty tat; too high and it stops being light-hearted.

The rules that keep it fair

• Draw in secret — no one should know who has whom (a generator does this cleanly).
• No drawing your own name — and ideally avoid obvious pairings if it's a couples crowd.
• Set a theme if it helps — "something consumable", "something funny", or just "something nice".

Draw names the easy way

Skip the hat. Our free Secret Santa generator draws names secretly, lets everyone add a wishlist so you're not guessing, and suggests price-compared gift ideas within your budget — no accounts, no fuss.