How it works
- Draw names on santa.haus: everyone gets a page of their own with the letter they drew.
- After the draw, on your page under the envelope, you'll find “Ask your nice child”. Type a question from the list below and press “Send the question” – they won't see who's asking.
- In the days before the party, send one hint a day, from the vaguest to the clearest – or write the last one on the gift tag: Printable Secret Santa gift tags.
- At the party, everyone guesses before opening their gift: Guess who your Santa is.
The messages on santa.haus
You can write once the names are drawn, but not on lists where every letter goes to the organizer. A message is up to 500 characters, and a Santa and the person they drew can send each other up to 40 messages in all. The person you write to never sees who you are – santa.haus doesn't show anyone, not even the organizer, who drew whom. They can also write first: under their own letter, with “Send to your Santa”.
15 questions to ask anonymously
Send them in “Ask your nice child”. Ask what helps you get the gift right, without giving yourself away: no shared memories, no words only you use.
Tea, coffee or hot chocolate – what do you reach for on a cold morning?
Which smell says “Christmas” to you?
What made you laugh out loud lately?
What do you already have far too much of?
Sweet or savoury snacks?
A cosy night in or a winter walk?
What colour makes you happy?
Which Christmas song can you listen to on repeat?
Book, podcast or series – what keeps you busy on a long evening?
What small thing makes a Monday better?
Is there a hobby of yours that few people know about?
Which board or card game do you never say no to?
Mug, candle or socks – which would you actually use?
Is there anything you'd rather not get as a present?
If you had a free Saturday, how would you spend it?
15 hints before the reveal
Santa about Santa, from the vaguest to the most obvious. Fill in the gap and send one a day – save the last ones for the day before the party or for the gift tag.
My favourite season is ___.
The best part of Christmas for me is ___.
On a lazy Sunday I ___.
My go-to Christmas film is ___.
I start the day with ___.
The snack I can't resist is ___.
My favourite holiday spot is ___.
At home, ___ is always waiting for me.
My mug is easy to spot: it's ___.
My usual lunch is ___.
You can often find me near ___.
We usually see each other ___.
We last talked about ___.
My name has ___ letters.
My name starts with ___.
10 ways to describe the person you drew
At the reveal, whoever starts describes the person they drew until the others guess who it is, then that person carries on – the chain of clues: Secret Santa games and reveal ideas.
This is someone who always finds time to…
This is someone who is the best I know at…
This person makes everyone laugh when…
When something breaks, this person…
In their free time this person loves to…
Without this person our year would have less…
From this person you can learn how to…
This person knows more than anyone about…
This year this person helped me with…
If you need a good idea, ask this person about…
A clue from your Secret Santa1
My favourite season is ___.
A clue from your Secret Santa2
The best part of Christmas for me is ___.
A clue from your Secret Santa3
On a lazy Sunday I ___.
A clue from your Secret Santa4
My go-to Christmas film is ___.
A clue from your Secret Santa5
I start the day with ___.
A clue from your Secret Santa6
The snack I can't resist is ___.
A clue from your Secret Santa7
My favourite holiday spot is ___.
A clue from your Secret Santa8
At home, ___ is always waiting for me.
A clue from your Secret Santa9
My mug is easy to spot: it's ___.
A clue from your Secret Santa10
My usual lunch is ___.
A clue from your Secret Santa11
You can often find me near ___.
A clue from your Secret Santa12
We usually see each other ___.
A clue from your Secret Santa13
We last talked about ___.
A clue from your Secret Santa14
My name has ___ letters.
A clue from your Secret Santa15
My name starts with ___.
Also useful
- Free Christmas printables: coloring pages, cards, ornaments and games
- Secret Santa games and reveal ideas
- Printable Secret Santa gift tags
- Secret Santa poems and gift tag messages
- Secret Santa questionnaire – questions that help your Santa
- Secret Santa gift ideas – under $10, $25 and $50
- Christmas scavenger hunt clues (printable)