Beware the Secret Santa game - you might get more than you bargained for, writes R óisín Ingle
I volunteered to organise our family's Kris Kindle this year. I mean, how difficult could it be? The names were all in a little white cardboard box and, one by one, family members had to pick out the name of the person for whom they would be buying a present. It was all going swimmingly until, halfway through the process, I lost the box of names. Since then it's been a frantic few days of detective work trying to figure out which names were left in the box while trying to fob off the remaining family members who have not yet picked a name. (If you are a family member reading this, now you know why I haven't been returning your calls).
Kris Kindle, Kris Kringle, Secret Santa or Secret Snowflake - call it what you will. The annual anonymous gift exchange system which takes place among families and in the workplace is a minefield, the original nightmare before Christmas: Should there be a limit on the money spent? If so, how much? What to do when some family members refuse to join in? And is it ethical to put a name back in the hat because you can't stand Jacinta in advertising and also because last year you are convinced she got you a self-help book for people with low self-esteem?
According to Sarajane Bloomer, a personal shopper otherwise known as "the Christmas shopping fairy", Kris Kindle as a family tradition has grown in popularity, especially among families who feel the spirit of Christmas is being lost under an avalanche of gifts. "In our family we just got to a point where everyone was firing presents at each other on Christmas Day. It was present overload. There was a fair few Manchester United shampoo sets, scented clotheshangers and paper drawer liners, so the quality wasn't always great," she says. "Now we do Kris Kindle, a different person hosts it in their house each year and the focus is much more on coming together as a family than just about a frenzy of gift-giving".
BLOOMER ADMITS THERE are hidden perils in Kris Kindle. There is always the person nobody wants to buy a present for because "they are either really difficult to buy for or just a bit obnoxious". And, crucially, there is always one person who everyone hopes isn't the one buying them a present because their idea of a quality gift is a deluxe soap-on-a-rope. Stories of presents such as used candlesticks are legion. Bloomer's most memorable Kris Kindle gift was a popcorn-making machine.
"It's massive and takes ages to work. It's one of those things that just sits in the kitchen and has never been used," she says. In her experience, gift-buying limits range from €40-€80 right up to several hundred euro.
Being the one to organise the Kris Kindle comes with certain advantages. "You do have a bit of power," explains Bloomer. "There is a certain amount of fixing involved, you have to be a bit political, it's kind of the pay-off for doing the organising." The real clever-clogs will just go online to sites such as Manage my Kris Kringle (www.kris-kringle.com.au), where you can set up a personalised system to handle all your Secret Santa needs.
The original ritual is named after the traditional German gift-bringer Christkind, but one variation on the Kris Kindle tradition includes "stolen Santa" where gifts are supposed to be "illegally" procured. In the workplace this usually means people ending up with presents procured from the stationery cupboard. Nothing says Christmas like a week's supply of post-its.
And when it comes to these office-based Kris Kindles, some obvious rules apply. Don't buy hygiene products for colleagues with body odour. And while it may seem hilarious when you are standing in Ann Summers, it's quite likely your female boss may not see the funny side of that packet of edible underwear.
"Stay away from novelty presents is my biggest tip," says Bloomer. "It's possible to be funny without being crude. There are thousands of euro wasted every year on rubbish Kris Kindle presents - a little thought goes a long way." Most importantly, says the Christmas shopping fairy, when coming up with ideas for your Kris Kindle try to "think outside the box". Which I would, if I could just find the flaming thing.
christmasshoppingfairy@gmail.com