Partner Article

To keep Santa secret or not?

It’s starting to feel a lot like Christmas…Christmas songs are being played on the radio, Christmas decorations are going up, Christmas lights are being switched on, and everyone is talking about Christmas shopping. Lots of people will barely be able to contain their excitement, while just as many may be experiencing a small sense of dread!

Christmas always splits opinion and the increased organisation of Christmas presents does too. While some wonder what’s wrong with just buying presents that they think people will like for whoever they choose, others have an Amazon (other online retailers are available) wishlist for each of their children, prepare an email list of presents that they would like from different family members, and are involved in at least one Secret Santa – to the uninitiated this is a fun way for groups to buy presents where each member of the group is randomly and secretly allocated one person to buy for and a maximum budget, then on a given date all gifts are handed over and there’s the added fun of guessing who bought for who.

Since when was it OK to tell people what you want? OK, so it’s standard practice for kids to write a letter to Father Christmas, fair enough, but devoting a whole website to what you want as an adult, with prices clearly marked so you know what people spend on you? Is that not a bit much?! Surely, people should just accept that they might get socks off two or three friends and relatives and revel in the warmth of their feet? On the other hand we’re increasingly hearing that we’re a throwaway society so it has to be good thing that people don’t by pointless presents on a whim, and instead confidently purchase a pressie they know will be useful to its eventual owner.

Then there’s secret santa. On the surface this does sound like a great idea, otherwise people end up buying loads of pointless presents for all their work colleagues just for appearances’ sake. At least this way each person only buys one. That’s as long as you’re not the one who has to cut up little pieces of paper, put them in a hat and pick them out, email everyone in the office and then deal with the inevitable moans from whoever finds it awkward buying a pressie for the boss. Mind you, there is a new free app that makes all this quite a bit easier. All the Secret Santa organiser has to do is enter everyone in the group’s email address and a budget into the app, available at www.facebook.com/CunningPlanMarketing, and this clever bit of technology will do the rest so that everyone then receives an email with the name of the person they should buy a gift for and the maximum amount they’re allowed to spend.

Another thing to consider is whether technological aids such as wishlists, specified delivery dates, and apps of this ilk, do make Christmas easier or whether they actually complicate life even further. Well, whether you’re completely haphazard, organised beyond belief, or staggering around somewhere in between, all we can hope is that you all give good presents and have a Merry Christmas.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Cunning Plan Marketing .