Wooow, so exciting! Another Christmas mug and a pair of socks, thank you! – says every person during the Secret Santa exchange. We might be exaggerating, but in most cases, we know that’s true. As much as these gift exchanges have a very nice thought behind them, they don’t always hit the right spot, especially if they’re done with people you don’t know very well. If you do it with your group of friends, it can be a lovely tradition, but at the office or in a classroom where you know 1 or 2 people it’s less sentimental. So in this article, we decided we’ll give you some ideas on what you can get for someone who you don’t know very well. Read along and get ready to be a good gift giver.
This is a collaborative post.
Fun accessories
Our first suggestion is a pretty bold one, but hear us out. These gift exchanges are meant to be fun, so before going on and on about practical gifts, let’s talk about the fun accessories you can get for someone. For example, for men, we thought it’d be a great idea to get them some sort of a flat cap. This accessory is elegant and fun while not being too out of the ordinary. Flat caps like the ones here: https://www.gaelsong.com/prod_detail_list/accessories-irish-hats are a great present for any colleague at the office as they can easily wear it for work or in their personal life. It’s the kind of accessory that you don’t think of buying for yourself but could be into. For women, a pair of leather gloves with a nice print on them is the kind of fun accessory you can go for. It’s also practical for the cold season, but if you find something with an interesting design, it can make this gift really unique. These fun and useful accessories will make this gift exchange way better without the basic mugs and chocolates.
Practical gifts
Not as popular as fun or festive gifts, but practical gifts are usually very appreciated. Getting someone a present that they can use and makes their day-to-day life easier is a very underrated practice. Of course, they might not be as festive as the non-practical gifts, but they’ll definitely be more used. For example, go for helpful gadgets or kitchen accessories, different hobby-related presents or office supplies that you know that person needs. You can even go for gift cards, subscriptions to something you know they love or even some sort of food basket of all the Christmas dinner add-ons. This way, you’re making their shopping crisis easier, which is definitely a very practical thing during these months. And don’t worry, you don’t need to know that person super well to be able to get them something useful, it’s enough to know one or two small things about them.
Anything non-Christmas related
Hear us out, we’re not hating on Christmas, but if you think about it realistically, buying Christmas-themed gifts doesn’t make a lot of sense. Accessories for Christmas or anything related to this holiday can only be used for less than a month every year, so outside of the joy and cheer, there’s not much to these presents. So instead of getting them another Christmas mug that they’ll throw in a cabinet, you can go for any non-Christmas gift that they can get more use out of. Get them a book that you think they’d enjoy, some good quality socks as they are a very appreciated and underrated gift or just some practical cold-season accessories in general. Hats, gloves, scarves, all of these are better alternatives that they can get more use out of and that are actually very practical. To keep this present in the Christmas spirit you can wrap it nicely and add a festive card so that you don’t look like a Grinch.