As Christmas approaches, here are some hot or wacky ideas to give to your colleagues in the office. If you lack inspiration, look no further!
Looking for a gift idea for your colleague or for friends because you are participating in a Secret Santa (or Secret Father Christmas) This year ? Here is our selection to find inspiration at a very low price: all our gifts are just under the 10 euros mark. Because it is very nice to give gifts, but it shouldn’t be ruined either?
A first “Secret Santa” in Kansas at the end of the 70’s
By the way, do you know the story of Secret Santa? You have to go to the United States for that. Originally, we find a certain Larry Dean Stewart. This philanthropist is said to be the “Original Secret Santa,” the first Secret Santa who came up with the idea of giving anonymous Christmas gifts from the late 1970s. It was in Kansas.
How did he get the idea? He himself benefited from the generosity of a restaurant owner who graciously served him breakfast in Houston, Mississippi. From there, came the idea of being generous with others. An idea reinforced by the fact that he was fired twice, in 1978 and 1979, just before Christmas. On this occasion, he happened to leave big tips and see so much joy and emotion that he thought it would be a good idea to give some money to people he didn’t. did not know but who needed it. So, for more than 25 years, he made a habit of anonymously giving out $ 100 bills to the people of Kansas City.
In 2001 he also donated $ 25,000 (still in the form of $ 100 bills) to New Yorkers after the 9/11 terrorist attacks. It wasn’t until 2006 that Stewart was identified as the “secret Santa Claus” everyone had wondered about for so long. Sadly, he died of cancer in January 2007, at the age of only 58.
From philanthropy to gifts between colleagues
From a nice gesture to strangers, the concept has also evolved to become a moment of exchange of gifts between colleagues. The principle of anonymity is still very much present since we draw the name of the person to whom to offer a gift and everyone does the same. Usually, we add a maximum amount that should not be exceeded so that everyone gives gifts of the same value and that there is no jealousy.
The risk is in fact that we give a gift of low value to someone that we do not appreciate and a beautiful gift to a colleague that we adore. Then the rule varies: either we find out who gave the gift, or it can remain anonymous (and everyone tries to find out who was able to offer what). But the main thing is to find the gift that will please the person to whom it is offered. Like always.
By Florence Santrot and Marie Lacombe