New Zealand has once again held a nationwide Secret Santa exchange via Twitter, as if you needed any more reason to move to the idyllic isle.
More than 3600 people took part in the NZ Twitter Secret Santa, signing up to give and receive gifts with total strangers from the internet. After beginning in 2010, the scheme has become a Kiwi Christmas tradition, with even Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern playing along.
Twitter users sign up to play through New Zealand’s postal system and are then sent the Twitter handle of the person to buy a gift for. The NZ Secret Santa website tells participants to “get your Twitter-Sleuth on” to try to work out what sort of gift to give, with the rules saying that they need to “find/make/buy them an awesome gift for about $10.”
With just days until Christmas, the gifts have started arriving in excited New Zealanders’ mailboxes, and everyone seems too stoked to wait until Dec. 25 to open them. People are already sharing pictures of their gifts ― sweet treats, notebooks, mugs, jewelery, socks and other trinkets ― to the #NZSecretSanta hashtag.
Judging by the reactions from gift recipients, the Secret Santas actually took time and effort to research the person they were buying for and think of meaningful gifts, as well as writing personalized Christmas cards.
Ardern, who was elected prime minister in October and is recognized as the world’s youngest female head of government, was unveiled as one woman’s Secret Santa after sending some lotions and soap as a gift.
Ardern herself received a handmade Christmas tree decoration from a Kiwi citizen.
If you need a bit of Christmas cheer, check out all the rest of the gifts shared on the NZ Secret Santa Twitter account.