Automatically Generate a Secret Santa List

In four easy steps

Santa's List is a standalone program for Microsoft Windows (95, 98, NT, 2000, and XP) to generate Secret Santa pairings for friends and family who want to celebrate the holidays with a little bit of mystery and surprise. The software only requires one person to coordinate and collect all the emails to generate the Secret Santa gifter to giftee pairs (if you are the coordinator, make sure you add yourself to the list!).

Although the email function in this program is an integral part of it, it is NOT REQUIRED to generate and randomize gifter to giftee pairs. Best of all, it's FREE to download and use. It will also be ported to Linux and Mac OS X in the future.

The randomizer never reciprocally pairs two players -- that is, there is no likelihood that your giftee is your gifter. The probability of this type of pairing is a weakness in the "pick a name out of the hand" method of playing the game.

Since it's free to download and use, why not get it today and try it out? If it does not work well for you, please help us make it a better program by letting us know through email. Thanks!

Screenshot

Punch in your SMTP server details for email sending (see your ISP for the settings).
Type in the names and emails of the players involved in any order.
Type in the message you want to send to all the players.
Hit "Send"

Did we mention that this program was FREE?! Follow the Download page.

What is Secret Santa (aka "PollyAnna" or "Kris Kringle")?

Simply put, Secret Santa is a game often among a group of family and/or friends (3 or more people are required) during the holiday gift giving season whereby individuals are anonymously assigned a person to offer a gift. There are no rules set in stone on how to play the game. However, that said, the gist of the game is to be anonymously assigned a person who you are to provide a gift, or a series of gifts. Some people play with the intent of surprising their giftee with small, stocking stuffer-type items prior to the main gift. While others play by purchasing one gift to be presented during the main holiday party. Regardless of how it's played, you're guaranteed to have a great time trying to figure out who has been assigned as your gifter. The game is even more fun with a large group. And if agreed among the players beforehand, some argue that receiving one main gift, as opposed to lots of small gifts from everyone else, makes the holiday even more memorable over the years.