New Zealanders sign up to nationwide Secret Santa - and even the PM is getting involved
People across New Zealand, including new Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, have signed up to send anonymous gifts in a nationwide Secret Santa.
More than 3,000 people have signed up to the annual social media initiative New Zealand Secret Santa.
Participants are randomly assigned a person to send a Christmas gift to in the enormous gift exchange.
After receiving the name of their giftee, present-buyers take to Twitter to work out what their person likes before they make their final purchase.
With not long left to register, let's take a trip down memory lane with last year's #NZSecretSanta...https://t.co/lUyBsMu1Ft
— NZ Secret Santa (@nzsecretsanta) November 21, 2017
Created in 2010 by podcaster Sam Elton-Walters, Secret Santa is a seven-year New Zealand tradition in which participants send anonymous gifts to another member of the social network community.
The scheme is now run by a team of Secret Santa 'elves' at New Zealand's postal service, who sort and deliver the gifts.
New Zealanders were invited to sign up between November 6 and 22, and will be told the name of the giftee on November 23.
Secret Santa players will then have until December 10 to find and send their perfect Christmas present.
So you may have noticed I don't tweet especially often (I just lurk) but as a ridiculous lover of Christmas, I couldn't miss the chance to join the @nzsecretsanta movement. Registration ends tomorrow so feel free to join in my over the top Christmas cheer
— Jacinda Ardern (@jacindaardern) November 21, 2017
This year New Zealand's Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has upped the present-purchasing "pressure" by tweeting that she signed up to the scheme.
Ms Ardern tweeted: "So you may have noticed I don't tweet especially often (I just lurk) but as a ridiculous love of Christmas, I couldn't miss the chance to join the @nzsecretsanta movement.
"Registration ends tomorrow so feel free to join in my over the top Christmas cheer."
Users on Twitter said the news that Mrs Ardern has got involved was "epic", commenting on the added "pressure" of possibly receiving her name.
Omg the pressure if you got @jacindaardern as your #nzsecretsanta
— margaritas as a service (@BR3NDA) November 21, 2017
How epic is this guys :D #nzsecretsanta https://t.co/tydG9E8YfN
— WebSam (@websam) November 21, 2017
While others shared their best tips for present purchasing:
Don't rush into buying the gift - take your time to learn what the giftee likes first, and don't get them anything that they've specifically said they don't like.
— tom ✨ (@howareyourlungs) November 22, 2017
Create a list for your Secret Santa’s twitter handle - then you can keep an eye on their tweets for clues, without giving yourself away by following them!
— Erin Banks (@ErinRBanks) November 22, 2017
Participants will be matched with their giftee on Thursday.