6 steps to hosting a fun Christmas party with a Secret Santa gift exchange

Create some fun for you and your friends this holiday season with a Secret Santa gift exchange party this year.

One great way to celebrate the holidays and bring people together is by setting up a secret gift exchange called Secret Santa.

A Secret Santa party emanates the spirit of the season, and is a fun way to add an extra element of mystery to the gift-giving process. It can also take some of the financial pressure off, as group members only have to buy for one person.

Gather the people you want to participate in the Secret Santa party and have them write their names on a slip of paper.

• Place these slips in a hat or bowl, and have everyone choose a slip.
• If you can't get everyone together before the holidays, you can choose names for everyone, then email them individually with their gift partner's name.

Set a budget for how much can be spent on the Secret Santa present.

• This makes the exchange less financially stressful and more fun.

In between the time when people draw names and when the Secret Santa party occurs, shop for your partner's present.

• Pick something that suits their personality and be sure to stay within the budget. It's part of the challenge.

Wrap the Secret Santa gift in festive holiday wrapping paper.

• Make sure you put a card on the present indicating who it's for, but not who it's from. Instruct your guests to do the same.

On the day of the party, have a large basket or gift bag for guests to put their presents in as soon as they arrive.

• When everyone is present, begin the gift exchange.
• You can pull people's gifts out one at a time and take turns opening them. When each present is opened, have the recipient guess who the giver was. Next, reveal who the giver actually was. See how many guests can guess their giver correctly.

If you feel like giving back this holiday season, have every guest bring two presents: one for his Secret Santa partner and one for the less fortunate.

• Gather the gifts for those in need in a separate bag and once your secret Santa party is finished, go together to a charitable organization to donate the presents. Consider contacting organizations in advance to get a list of items that they need.