You've made a list of your best friends, and now you're checking it twice. Despite the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, the snow must go on with Secret Santa this year. Instead of gathering in-person, your crew will exchange gifts and carry on your tradition via Zoom. These virtual Secret Santa ideas are sure to bring good tidings and times to you and your crew.
Since you can't exchange presents and cookies the way you traditionally do, a virtual Secret Santa is the way to go. The guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which were updated on Nov. 27, 2020, note to avoid close contact with anyone you don't live with. Guidelines related to travel, which were updated on Dec. 2, 2020, note that traveling can increase your risk of getting or spreading the coronavirus, so planning to stay home is the safest way to go.
Fear not, because hosting Secret Santa over Zoom will still be tons of fun. It may require you to send a package to a friend ahead of time or get creative with games and activities. You can even still include yummy snickerdoodles and chocolate-covered pretzels galore. Simply give any attendees a very cute itinerary beforehand, filled with ideas for virtual Secret Santa. Ship a gift to the BFF you picked, and prepare for good tidings and times.
Around the holidays, you likely pull out a recipe book and open it to the same 'ole page. On that page is the necessary ingredients and steps to make your famous gingerbread, sugar cookies, or jelly-filled treats. Since your BFFs can't take a bite out of them this year, share your recipe during virtual Secret Santa.
You can do this by putting on a witty PowerPoint presentation, or by sending them a letter in the mail with the instructions. If your other friends have holiday recipes they adore — such as a butternut squash soup or casserole — let them share theirs as well.
Especially in 2020 when small businesses and non-profits are struggling, it's a heartwarming idea to use the money you may have spent on a gift, and channel it into a charitable donation. This donation can be a joint effort.
While on Zoom, you can discuss where to donate together. If your BFFs aren't super familiar with a particular organization or business, take some time to catch them up on the work they do or products they sell. It'll spread the good vibes not only in your gathering, but around the world.
If you follow Olivia Muenter on Instagram, then you may be familiar with her candle reviews. Especially in the fall or during the holiday season, she goes on Instagram Stories and gives a hot take on the latest candles to hit store shelves. Watch her highlight titled "Xmas candles," and then recreate this activity with your BFF crew during virtual Secret Santa.
Take a whiff of the candles in your home, and describe them to your friends in great detail. Then, give them a rating on a scale of one through `10, so your best friends know what to shop for.
The holiday vibes will be so strong if you and your best friends each decorate your own miniature trees during virtual Secret Santa. To make this happen, simply ask each person to buy one before your event, as well as ornaments to put on the tiny branches. Then, once the virtual gathering is going, start to decorate your mini trees and show off what theme you're going for.
If you want to turn this into a fun game, you can have everyone vote for their favorite at the end. You can also send your BFFs a bunch of supplies to make a friendship-inspired ornament, like a photo of your friend group, ribbon, and a pack of paints.
Let's be honest: you and your BFFs are anything but strangers. But, this card game puts you up to the test, and lets you form even deeper connections with each other. To play, one person will need to purchase the card deck, which has three levels of questions you can then ask your BFFs over Zoom.
Some cards reveal what your besties think your best quality is, or what they'd like to learn from you. It's sure to spread good tidings, vibes, and cheer.
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