In the midst of high school finals, it’s often hard for students to get into the holiday spirit. However, Secret Santa, a tradition among many friend groups, has served as a way for gift exchanges to occur in an anonymous and suspenseful way. “I think that the special thing about Secret Santa is the aspect that we get surprised because we don’t know who will give you what gift and in the days leading up to it, we are anticipating it,” sophomore Tenzin Kunga said.

On top of juggling the week of finals testing, some students have a difficult time saving money for their Secret Santa gifts. In order to still hold their festive gift exchange tradition in a budget-friendly way, Kunga’s friend group has initiated a price range for gifts. “Our price limit is $10 and under this year. We also have this thing where if we can’t afford it, then you can just ask a friend within the group to help you out,” Kunga said.

Aside from store-bought gifts, hand-crafted gifts tend to be a more inexpensive alternative. “There are a lot of ‘Do It Yourself’ websites online which I use for birthday gift ideas,” Kunga said. Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, and other similar social media platforms have specific accounts which are dedicated to DIY gifts.

Nevertheless, the price of Secret Santa gifts doesn’t seem to matter over the sentiment. “The point is to get together and exchange gifts and even though I don’t celebrate Christmas, I think it’s a fun, cute way to express love for friends,” Kunga said.

Ellen Mi