Welcome Santas! Thanks for taking the time to take a gander at our FAQs. If there’s a question we haven’t addressed, leave a comment below or tweet us at @NZSecretSanta.
How do I sign up?
Head on over to nzsecretsanta.co.nz and hit the ‘sign up to play’ button!
How long are registrations open for?
Currently, 6 November until 22 November, but the elves reserve the right to change the closing date as needed.
When do I find out who I’m Santa for?
23 November!
I didn’t get a confirmation email?
We don’t send confirmation emails when you sign up. You’ll be emailed on 23 November with details on who you’ve been matched with.
I didn’t get a match email?!
If it’s after the 23th and you didn’t get an email from us, we’ve sent it! Log into your dashboard at nzsecretsanta.co.nz and you’ll be able to see who you’re playing Santa for.
Can I start tweeting hints?
For sure! Be sure to use the hashtag ‘#NZSecretSanta’ to make it easier for your Santa to find your hints.
Pro tip: You can find someone’s hints easily by searching their username and the hashtag #NZSecretSanta in Twitter’s search bar.
Wasn’t there a dashboard that showed Santa signups?
There sure is! It’s right here. You’ll also be able to see stats about gifts when the time comes.
Can I have Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern/Hilary Barry/[other specific player]?
In the nicest possible way, no and please stop asking. Who you’re assigned is random, and once you’re assigned someone it can’t be changed. And please be a good Santa even if you’re not assigned someone you hoped to be assigned to. The algorithm is random and we can’t make any promises. 🙂
Who’s the charity this year?
Our friends at CanTeen are! Again! You can find them here on Twitter.
What are you doing for CanTeen?
As in previous years, we’ll be donating presents (after elf-appropriateness-inspection) intended for Bad Santas.
What can I do for them?
You can get them a present! If you’re getting a present for CanTeen, we ask that you send it separately and clearly label it (To: CanTeenNZ, from [Your Username], C/- Santa Storehouse, 7 Waterloo Quay, Pipitea, Wellington 6011).
Why can’t I bundle in the presents together?
As a rule, we generally don’t repack the presents (barring ones intended for Bad Santas), we just change the shipping address so it goes to your recipient. There’s only a few elves in the storehouse, so we don’t have the capacity to repack them. You’ll be saving us a whole bunch of elf-time and elf-labour, so thank you in advance. ❤
What can I send to CanTeen?
Good question! Here’s the wishlist CanTeen provided us:
- DVDs
- Snacks: chocolate (Christmas-themed is a winner!), tinned shortbread, candy canes
- Cosmetics: eyebrow pencil, nail polish, hair products, anything beauty-related
- Craft, art and DIY kits
- Coffee cups
- Beading and bracelet sets
- Vouchers/gift cards: iTunes, Google Play, Cotton On, JB HIFI, mobile phone top-ups
- Movie tickets
- Headphones
- Wheat bags
- Headwear: caps, hats, beanies
- Bed socks/socks
- Toiletries: moisturiser, soap, hand creams
- Sun cream
- Beach towels
- Magazines
- Small motivational wall Art pieces
- Magnet holders for photos etc.
- Candles
- Portable speakers
- T-Shirts
- Mindfulness (art therapy) colouring books (not ones for kids, please!) and felt-pens/pencils
- Wallets / Card holders
- Cool stationery (e.g. fluffy pens)
- Photo frames
- Key rings
- Posters (gaming, boy bands)
- Playing cards
Do I wrap my present for CanTeen?
Good question! Ideally not, we need to vet the presents for appropriateness, but in the end it’s up to you! We enjoy unwrapping presents as much as anyone. 🙂
My assigned Santa has requested I donate to charity, how do I do that?
So the thing is, you need to send something to the Storehouse, even if it’s just a card. Don’t just donate on your Santa’s behalf and presume we’ll know what you’ve done, we’re not omniscient like Santa Claus. So please, send something so we can mark you as a good Santa!
How can I help the elves?
In a few different ways.
- Spread the word! Retweet our tweets, write your own tweets and use the #NZSecretSanta hashtag
- Be a good Santa!
- Tweet your own personal NZ Secret Santa journey – what’s going on in your mind while you’re sleuthing, whether or not you’ve bought your gift, if you’ve wrapped it, if you’ve sent it, etc.
- (Optional) Sign up to be a Super Secret Santa!
What’s a Super Secret Santa?
A Super Secret Santa is someone who goes above and beyond for us! Occasionally we have less presents than players because of Bad Santas, so we like to ask our Santas to step up to be Super Secret Santas before delving into the NZ Secret Santa Bad Santa Gift Stash (provided by sponsors). Please note that this is essentially an on call situation, we will need you to be prepared to buy a present for someone on very short notice, so we understand if not everyone can be a Super Secret Santa.
I want to help in person! Can I help send the presents?
Since the storehouse is no longer behind the Customs Bonded Area red line, we *might* put out a call for volunteers to help sort on dispatch day (December 18).
Please remember this is a *might* and we make no promises. We’re short on space this season, so it might be too tricky to have more people involved. We’ll do what we can!
Where is Santa’s Storehouse?
7 Waterloo Quay, Pipitea, Wellington (6011) – New Zealand Post House; once dubbed the ugliest building in Wellington is not short on Christmas Cheer and Reindeer Parking.
Where is elf HQ?
All of our elves this year are housed at NZ Post House in Wellington.
Can I drop my present off to the Storehouse instead of posting it?
Yes, if you’re in Wellington you can drop it to reception at NZPost House, 7 Waterloo Quay. Let the lovely reception folks know it’s for Aj on Level 5, or drop us a DM when you’re on your way and we can come down and take it off your hands 🙂 (time dependent).
And that’s all from us for now!
Love,
The Elves
#nzsecretsanta 