The Secret Santa spectrum: From notes to rubber lizards

This Christmas readers share their most memorable thoughtful to strangest Secret Santa giftsFrom a handwritten letter to teastained mugs here is what they had to say about the art of anonymous giftingThe annual ritual of Secret Santa is far more than a simple holiday tradition its a highstakes social litmus testAt its best it is a heartwarming display of attentivenessmdashproving that a colleague or friend has truly been listeningAt its worst it is a frantic lastminute dash that results in questionable smells and awkward handoversWhether itrsquos a moka pot that fuels a morning or a rubber lizard that fuels a nightmare the consensus is clear the most memorable gifts are the ones that prove you were seenThe value of a gift rarely lies in its price tag but rather in the observational bridge between the giver and the receiverFrom sentimental letters that capture fading moments to reality check calendars that call out our worst habits these stories from four professionals explore the delicate art of giftingmdashand the hilarity that ensues when it goes southThe curator of ritualsSecret Santa has a funny way of showing how well people really know yourdquo poses design and art manager Ifra AliFor someone whose career is built on aesthetic and intentionality the perfect gift wasnt about the price tag but the lifestyle it acknowledgedShe fondly recalls ldquoThe most thoughtful gift Irsquove ever received was gourmet coffee paired with a moka pot along with a handwritten note Anyone who knows me knows how serious I am about my coffee and my caffeine On its own the gift wasnrsquot extravagant but the note mentioned small things I had casually spoken about like how coffee instantly improves my mood and how I enjoy slow intentional mornings That attention to detail made it feel incredibly personalrdquoHowever Ali notes that without that observational bridge gifting can feel dissonantldquoThen there was the notsogreat gift I once received a wind chime While it may sound thoughtful in theory it felt completely random for me I donrsquot really enjoy constant background noise so my immediate reaction was a confused smile and a quick mental calculation of where it would even go That contrast is what makes Secret Santa interesting When someone really thinks about you even a simple gift can feel special And when they donrsquot it becomes a funny story you end up telling laterThe seeker of sentimentsIn the fastpaced world of finance banker Sneha Sharma finds value in the things that cannot be digitisedShe emphasises that in an era of instant gratification effort is the true currency At this stage of life you understand how quickly conversations fade and messages disappear Thatrsquos what makes a handwritten letter feel so rare I once received one recalling one specific moment shared between two people and it carried a quiet lasting power It doesnrsquot try to impress or perform yet it feels deeply personal Someone noticed that moment when it happened remembered it and chose to hold on to itrdquoBut the bankers eye for detail can be a doubleedged sword when a gift lacks sincerityShe describes a jarring experience ldquoOn the other hand I once received a gift that made me pause a mug that was very clearly used It wasnrsquot broken but it had faint tea stains along the rim and a slightly faded design from repeated washes The box looked new which somehow made it worse as if effort had gone into disguising its past life There was no card no explanation just an awkward handover Gifting is about thought and intention this gift didnt have any and that absence was impossible to ignoreThe practical dreamerFor Disha Sharma a successful gift sits at the intersection of utility and nostalgiaAs a PR professional she understands the power of a good lsquohookrsquo and her favourite gift had exactly thatmdasha mix of highfunction and highsentimentThe most thoughtful gift I ever opened was a travel pouch a Cinderellathemed stationery set and a handwritten note At the time I was about to travel so the pouch felt perfectly timed But what really stood out was the stationery It wasnrsquot just about my love for the character it felt like a gentle reminder that somewhere inside all of us therersquos still a small child who believes in a little magicrdquo she saysWhen asked about the strangest gift she received she shares an instance her Secret Santa failed to deliver terribly ldquoHowever Irsquove also been on the receiving end of a panic buy I once received a black hoodie that practically announced itself as a lastminute roadside purchase The fabric felt oddly worn the fit was strange and there was a very distinct slightly questionable smell I smiled of course but internally I was trying to guess its backstory When something is a regift or a lastminute buy it shows InstantlyThe good sportDhairya Sharma views Secret Santa through the lens of relationship dynamicsmdashsometimes itrsquos a tribute and sometimes itrsquos a prankMy most unforgettable Secret Santa happened with my cousinsrdquo Sharma revealsI opened a box casually and right on top was a very realistic rubber lizard Irsquom extremely scared of lizards so I panicked instantlymdashI screamed dropped the box and jumped back My cousins were all recording and laughing it was a prank because they knew about my fear It was completely useless as a gift but it turned into a hilarious creepy memoryrdquo he notes how an eerie prank can become a lifelong memoryShifting from family chaos to corporate life Sharma admits that Secret Santa can also serve as a mirror to our own flaws I also once received a gift that was a bit of a reality check At a workplace exchange I received a desk calendar with a note that said Letrsquos actually meet this time I have a habit of cancelling plans at the last minute because after work I often feel like I should just run straight home The room went quiet then everyone laughed because it was true Now that the calendar sits on my desk and reminds me to show up more oftenThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever