A Secret Santa exchange is an optionally anonymous exchange of gifts (usually around the Christmas holiday) within a group of people. Participants will be matched at random, and gifts will be distributed through a third party (Santa’s elves), so that all gifts are delivered to their intended recipients secretly. Santas can choose to remain anonymous or have their identity revealed by the elf.
Who can participate?
Anyone!
What is the timeline of this event?
Sign ups begin October 15, and will run through November 25 20:00 FR time. No further participants will be accepted.
On November 26 or 27, you will receive your match’s wish list from your elf. They will be helping you during the event. You may contact them at any time with any questions.
From then until December 21, you will send your gift to your elf, who will record and store the gift until delivery…
Which will occur between December 22 and 25!
Rematch Santas will receive their information on December 26, and will have until January 9 to send in their gifts. Rematch gifts will be delivered between January 10-12.
How much am I expected to send?
Last year, the exchange implemented 3 financial tiers for participation. Per our survey, participants loved them! This year will remain much the same with some tweaks, based on user suggestion. The smallest tier will receive a small increase in minimum required value and 1 additional “mega-tier” will act as a test subject.
SS2016 will offer 4 tiers: 20k and up, 50k and up, 100k and up, and 500k and up.
You must send your match a gift valued at no less than the minimum of your tier. Participants are welcome to speak with their elf to assess the approximate value of their gift if they have any concerns.
THERE IS NO MAXIMUM. Especially generous Santas are welcome to shower their match with gifts beyond imagination. Participants are also welcome to sign up at lower tiers and send gifts valued much higher, knowing that they will likely receive a gift of much lower value.
What am I expected to give?
SS2016 will provide each participant with their match’s wish list to provide insight to their favorite items and desires. Please, send something that you would be happy to receive. Treat others the way you would want to be treated.
Participants may send any items to their match, including but not limited to: gene/breed change scrolls, eggs, vistas, skins/accents, Baldwin materials, apparel, familiars, treasure/gems, etc.
Dragons also make acceptable gifts but CANNOT be sent as the only gift, unless it is a specific dragon requested by your match. If your match does not want dragons, you CANNOT send a dragon as part of your gift. Your match’s wish list will specify.
Additionally, last year’s participants overwhelmingly preferred gifts including more than 1 item, but also gifts where 1 item made up the majority of the value (i.e., one 75k familiar vs. three 25k familiars).
Can I offer a service or hatchling reservation as my gift? How about artwork?
Yes and yes! However, this is a nebulous area. Preferably, gifts would be ready by the due date to ensure that all participants have something to enjoy on delivery day. Please feel free to reach out to minty to discuss specifics.
I want to ask my match a question, how can I?
Please do not contact your match directly! This would ruin the spirit and surprise of the exchange. Instead, send a PM to your elf with your question and they will deliver it your behalf, keeping you anonymous. Your elf will send their response back to you.
Do I have to reveal myself?
No, if you would NOT like to be revealed, please make sure to choose the “Remain anonymous” option while filling out your form.
Can I change the information on my form after I’ve sent it?
Yes! Please PM me with your request and I will edit your form accordingly.
Can I cancel my participation?
Sometimes life gets in the way of good intentions. Any time before you are matched, you may cancel by sending me a PM. Once matching is done (November 25), you cannot cancel your participation.
What happens when people don’t receive a gift?
Folks who do not receive a gift will be enrolled in a rematch pool, and generous Rematch Santas will provide! This Rematch Exchange takes place immediately after the exchange, running from December 26-January 12.
I don’t like my gift!
Elves are instructed not to send out any gifts that do not meet the minimum requirement for the event and participation tier. Hopefully, the financial tiers will put an end to feelings like this! Past that hope, we cannot guarantee that you will love your gift. In order to avoid this, we’ve included an option to supply your Santa with a detailed wish list, so feel free to fill that out thoroughly. Please be grateful for the thought and effort put into your gift, even if it isn’t exactly what you asked for. Anyone seen complaining publically about a gift will not be welcome to participate in the future.
Can I be an elf? If I’m an elf, can I still participate in the exchange?
Absolutely! Elves are welcome to participate in the exchange. Elves will need a great deal of time available, starting late November and through all of December, particularly during December 22-25, for gift delivery. I must stress that elves must be active during December. You will occupy a position of trust and must be easily reachable to answer questions.
Elves will also need a lot of lair space to hold potential dragon gifts during the week of Christmas. An elf must be competent with Google Docs and Sheets, very organized, and a good listener/communicator. An elf must be comfortable juggling communication with many people, accurately delivering information to a multitude of parties, sending private Santa-to-match communications, and correctly delivering gifts in a timely manner. Many people will rely on you during this event!
FR Secret Santa utilizes both Reddit and Skype for elf-to-elf communication, discussion, and questions, so potential elves must be willing to at the very least, make a Reddit account. Finally, I must insist that elves be at least 16!
If you meet the criteria, and are still pumped about the idea of being an elf (there is LOTS of fun and roleplaying and happy tears involved), please PM me the following application. Be thorough!
Quote:
Age:
Familiarity with Google Docs/Sheets:
Availablity:
Reddit/Skype usernames: (only Reddit is required)
Share a little about yourself! What makes you want to participate?
Entries will be reviewed within 24 hours of submission. You will be added to the list of participants and pinged. Please read the form carefully and fill it out entirely.
Sign ups are closed! See you next year!
