This Christmas, get a gift from a stranger via this Twitter handle
That the goodness of one person can make another happy, is the essence of Secret Santa, a Twitter Handle, where you give a gift and get one in return. One usually gets gifts from friends or family, but getting one from a stranger is just precious.
“It is the thought of giving someone a gift that matters more than the gift itself. To execute that thought in the best way that you think is possible, will go miles for both the gifter and the giftee,” feels the founder, Sahil Bhalla.
The game is a great way to make friends, too. Sunakshi Goel, a social media executive from Delhi has been participating for four years, says, “It’s a great experience in terms of maintaining secrecy. I get details of my Santee, their wish list, and send the gift online. I have received gifts such as hoodie, books, and sent handmade gifts, too. This time I’m planning to meet my Santee as well.”
Conceptualised in 2013-2014, Secret Santa Delhi has been running for the past three years. “I believe that the goodness of one person can make another happy. The happiness on a person’s face when they receive a gift from a stranger, is priceless. Who knows, that person might just end up being a very good friend. Santa and Santee might just be friends in the long run,” he explains the thought behind it, adding, “Also, this is different from Diwali, where you don’t expect gifts in return. During Christmas, you look forward to both giving and receiving. The fact that it is with strangers (within the confined space of Twitter) makes it exciting.”
The idea is pretty simple. You give a gift to one person and you receive a gift from a different person. Everyone gets a different Santa and a different Santee. The attempt is to pair people of the same gender together, making it easier to choose gifts. “Once people fill out a form with basic information - name, age, profession, address, gift choices and all, I work out the best fit for everyone. I don’t choose just anyone who fills up the form. They have to have interacted on Twitter before. Otherwise we get people who receive a gift without giving one. The response last year was super amazing. Once this gets going, gifting to the underprivileged is also important,” adds Sahil, who hopes to expand to other cities soon.
“Every year I look forward to Secret Santa and receive handwritten notes too. Specific entries by your Santee makes it easier to gift,” Rishnita Bhandari, a student, from Delhi. At a time of individualism, if you made someone smile, you’ve made yourself smile.