30 Best Questions To Ask When You’re Doing Secret Santa

A woman wrapping Secret Santa presents

The holiday season is officially here, which means plenty of food, gifts and games are about to be shared amongst friends! One of the most popular gift-giving games played this time of year is Secret Santa. To play, write the name of everyone who wants to participate on strips of paper and have each person draw one. The person's name you drew is who you buy a gift for! After each gift is opened, the recipient guesses who bought the gift for them. It's a fun time for all!

So what gift do you buy if you don't know the person whose name you drew very well? You could go the generic route and play it safe, or you could ask plenty of questions to get ideas for the best gift to give. Whether you want to ask people who are close to your gift recipient to lessen the suspicion, or you want to have each participant fill out a questionnaire in order to play, we have the perfect list of 30 Best Secret Santa Questions for you to choose from!

Related: 45+ Best Christmas Gift Ideas for Foodies 2023

30 Secret Santa Questions

These inquiries will make it easier to choose the all-time best gift.

1. What hobby do you enjoy the most?

Knowing what a person enjoys spending time doing when they don't have to be doing it provides quite a bit of insight into the type of life they lead and could provide you with the perfect gift idea!

2. What is your favorite music?

Whether this leads to concert tickets or a personally created mixtape (hey, the 90s are making a comeback, right?) this is a great question to ask music lovers.

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3. Who is your favorite artist?

This could pertain to musicians, painters, directors and the list could go on. Leaving this one open-ended could give you more ideas than you know what to do with!

4. Do you have a favorite movie?

Movies aren't everyone's cup of tea. But for those who do enjoy a good movie, they surely have one that is close to their heart. Luckily, there are plenty of movie merchandise options to choose from for your Secret Santa gift.

5. What is your favorite football team?

This question could be broken up into two parts by asking both their favorite professional team and college team. Sports enthusiasts love to let the world know who they root for!

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6. What is your favorite color?

Let's say their answer is orange. You could buy them a basket and fill it with orange items like candy, flowers, nail polish, a coffee mug, a shirt and any other orange items that you think they would enjoy. Seeing the smile on their face when they open all their favorite things in their favorite color will be priceless.

7. Which candy or dessert do you prefer?

Not everyone loves candy, and some people just do not like cake. By asking this question, you'll learn which type of person your recipient is and can purchase or bake accordingly!

8. What do you like to snack on?

Maybe not everyone loves candies or cakes, but it's almost a crime not to love snacks. Buying individually wrapped snacks for your Secret Santa will have them thinking of you each time they reach for one.

9. Do you collect anything?

Knowing what your recipient collects is a great way to search for a new item that they can add to their collection. This gift will be a memorable one for sure!

10. What is your favorite book?

You could also ask who their favorite author is. Maybe that author has published a new book that your gift recipient has yet to purchase!

Related: Book Lover Gift Ideas 

11. What do you like to drink?

Whether it's hot chocolate, ginger ale, tea or something a bit stronger, your recipient will love to receive a Christmas gift that they can enjoy with others.

12. What color do you prefer to decorate with?

This is a great question for someone you know who has moved recently. It applies to anyone, of course, but gifting decor in their favorite color will be especially meaningful for someone who may not have many decorations just yet.

13. What is your favorite jewelry item?

If their answer is earrings, you could either get them a new pair of earrings or a necklace to match a pair you know they already have. This way, they get a gift they may not purchase for themselves.

14. What is your favorite holiday?

If they answer with St. Patrick's Day, you could gift them the perfect shamrock shirt to wear next year. For Valentine's Day, you could get them a pair of heart-adorned socks. The possibilities are endless!

15. Which perfume or cologne do you like?

Who doesn't like to smell nice? Since most perfume and cologne bottles are on the smaller side, you know they'll run out at some point, and you could get them some similar options.

16. What candle scent is your favorite?

Candles are little luxuries that simply make life more enjoyable. Days are shortest during the winter season, so give them a gift that will help bring light into their life.

17. Do you have a favorite fast-food restaurant?

If your recipient enjoys eating fast food, giving them a gift card is the perfect Secret Santa gift!

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18. Where do you like to go on date night?

Another gift card idea, but this time you're providing more of an experience than just a quick lunch on the go. Maybe they'll even choose to ask you along to dinner!

19. What is the best vacation you've ever taken?

You might be able to find the perfect coffee-table book or picture frame related to their favorite vacation spot.

20. Do you have a movie theater that you prefer to visit?

Offering a gift card to that specific movie theater will be a nice addition to that date night gift!

21. What is your most fond childhood memory?

If you're going the nostalgic route, this is a great question to ask. Taking pieces of their childhood and representing it in gift form will surely make them smile!

22. What game do you like to play?

Whether this pertains to board games or sports, there are plenty of gift idea options that arise from their answer. If they like to play chess you could get them a personalized chess set. If they prefer to shoot some hoops, you could get them a new basketball.

23. What is your favorite TV show?

There are a ton of items for sale that display different aspects of almost every TV show—like gifts for Yellowstone fans or gifts for Gilmore Girls fans!

24. Do you have a favorite flower?

Giving fresh flowers is a classic gift idea. You could also give them a necklace or picture that displays their favorite flower for them to keep for the years to come.

25. What do you do in your spare time?

Differing from their favorite hobby, this answer will let you know how your recipient likes to relax. Who doesn't enjoy getting cozy items that help them wind down at the end of the day?

26. What is the best gift you've ever given?

There's a little bit of reverse psychology happening with this question. With their answer, you can gauge what to get your recipient by the gift they were most excited to give.

Related: Classic Christmas Movie Lover Gift Ideas 

27. Do you have pets?

If their answer is yes, chances are that they love getting items that include their pet! A toy for their dog is also a gift for them. Quality time spent together is the best gift!

28. What is your birth month?

There are a lot of gift options that include zodiac signs, and giving one this year could make your gift feel that much more personal.

Related: Here’s Exactly What Your Month's Birthstone Says About Your Personality

29. Do you have any allergies?

This question is a little less fun than some of the others, but it's good to know if you plan to buy them any candy or bake them goodies!

30. What is your shirt size?

Practicality at its finest. It's one thing to know what their favorite TV show is in order to get them the perfect sweater. But getting it in the perfect size too? That's a win-win!

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