UBC January 2025 - Secret Santa 🎅🏼

Photo Credit: Samuel Holt on Unsplash

Good morning or whatever time of day it is on your end! Welcome back to Day 7 of January's UBC.

Have you ever participated in a Secret Santa gift exchange?

Can you believe I'm going to tell you about my very first time?

I had observed these colorful goings-on in one of the Facebook Mommy Groups from the outside for many years. I didn't want to take part myself. It seemed like another burden in the run-up to Christmas that I didn't want to put myself through. For some reason, however, I signed up anyway last fall. 

About 200 people participated in the Secret Santa program this year. The lovely admins of the group took it upon themselves to coordinate the program and send a message to each individual participant telling them who they should give a present to. 

Then there was a public thread people were invited to use to introduce themselves. Who are you, where do you live, what do you like to do for fun, what foods do you like, and so on.

Here's what the person who was drawn to receive a gift from me wrote:

Hello my dear Secret Santa,

I am 36, married, have two girls (13 and 11 years old). I am a family person, I like to go for walks, drink coffee and sometimes a glass of wine or beer. I eat almost everything. My favorite chocolate is “Kinder”, but not dark chocolate. I love salty and sweet things, but not liquorice.

What else do I like? Candles, gnomes, craft paint, purple and turquoise, lavender and Christmas scents. 

I'd rather take a shower than a bath. 

What else is there to say about me? I don't have any hobbies, I'm rather boring, haha. Kidding aside, I have two jobs. I work with impaired people and also in the hospitality industry. I get cold easily and usually wear a scarf. I love surprises. 

Her name is Jacqueline. I was quite pleased! I mean, coffee, chocolate, candles, xmas - she was practically my soul sister! Needless to say, I had fun shopping for her. 

It took a while before the parcel was ready for dispatch though. I still had to activate all my resources to find out how she prepares her coffee: Does her coffee machine need beans? Ground powder? Coffee capsules?

Even though you weren't supposed to open them before Christmas Eve, the deadline for packages to arrive at their destination was December 15. However, the first "I got it" posts started way earlier! People were so excited. 

Then Christmas Eve was here, and Jacqueline did some unboxing. As chance would have it, I found out that she was doing further training, for which she commutes several hours every week. So I thought she should have a nice thermos for her coffee. 

I also unpacked my parcel with excitement, and I was overwhelmed. My Secret Santa was called Melanie, and she had used my text, which was intended as a selection for inspiration, practically 1 : 1 as a shopping list!

Here's what I wrote in the introduction post - I am sure you may be nodding throughout the text:

Good morning lovelies, 

Although I've probably been in this group for around 15 years, this is my first time taking part in Secret Santa 🎅🏼. This year, of all years, it might be difficult to give myself presents, as I'm currently cleaning out and losing weight 🤪 So dust catchers and Christmas cookies are out of the question 😜

But here are a few things about me anyway: Fall and the run-up to Christmas 🎅🏼 are some of my favorite times. I like scented candles 🕯️, especially cinnamon, fairy lights, “fluffy socks”, Elf on the Shelf, Starbucks Christmas Blend ☕, ice hockey 🏒🥅 EVZ the “big” team and my son's U17 team, 

I write ✍🏻 for my blog and our town's magazine, have found fun making bracelets 💎 since the Taylor Swift 🪗🎤 concert, I like traveling, big trips to North America, or small trips in the region, I like cities 🌆, lakes 🐬🌴 as well as mountains 🏔️.

If you live in a place where there are beautiful blossoming trees in spring 🌳🌸🍒, I would also be happy to receive an invitation to go for a walk there.

Have you participated in a Secret Santa? Within your family? Work colleagues? Online?