The History of Secret Santa

Nothing says, “It’s Christmas time” like the whispers of Secret Santa ideas in the office. You know, the booming tradition, especially in friend circles or workplace environments, where you toss your name into a hat, then pick a name that isn’t yours to get a gift or gifts for Christmas. The organizers state the rules at the very beginning and also set a dollar amount limit.

We, the teachers and staff at the school, picked our Secret Santas before the Thanksgiving break. Our rules were 2 gifts per week (6 total), with the most “profound” given at the end where you can finally reveal who you are. The cash cap is $30. In our case, each person taking part in the festivities filled out a form asking things like: favorite color, stores, drinks, candies, scents, hobbies, teams, restaurants, and preferred gift card locations. It also offered space where each person could say the things they really liked, the things they needed, the things they didn’t need, what they liked to do to relax, and a place for things that they didn’t like at all.

I am thrilled with who I got and have already finished my shopping. However, a couple of thoughts came to my mind. The first being, “$30? For 6 gifts? Does that include inflation?” Don’t get me wrong, I know we aren’t made of money, but to get 6 things for $30 or under seems like a scavenger hunt. So, I did a little research…

If we go back to when Secret Santa became a thing, back in the 1970s with a man named Larry Dean Stewart, the going dollar range was around $5-$10. I had my research guy run the numbers for me, and with inflation from 1970 to 2025, the going range for Secret Santa is now $41.75 - $83.50! 

After discovering this, I wanted to dig deeper into the origin story of Secret Santa. And like most origin stories when it comes to traditions, Secret Santa has evolved from a cluster of cultures.

Before Larry Dean Stewart earned the original title of Secret Santa due to his generous and anonymous cash donations to strangers in need, we have to go back to the 1800s where the Scandinavians had a character named Julklapp. Julklapp would knock on someone’s door, throw a gift inside, then leave before revealing its identity. I have to wonder if Julklapp had anything to do with ding dong ditch as well.

Germany had a similar tradition called Wichtel. This character was the equivalent of a Christmas Elf. But this tradition followed suit more with what we’d call a White Elephant, Yankee Swap, or Dirty Santa, where the options to swap and steal take part.

Then, Larry earned the title, and the concept of anonymous giving surged in the 1970s.

However, it wasn’t until closer to the 1980s that Secret Santa became the new fad in corporate and social circles between co-workers and friends. And why wouldn’t it? It reduces stress financially and adds experience into the act of gift giving; a sense of surprise. Even though you are giving to one person, there is a connected aspect in the practice. And it is perfect for a diverse group: financially, religiously, and culturally.

Written By: Carolyn R. Stiles