From being delighted by soaps, serving ware and Instant Scratch-Its tickets to becoming dismayed by cologne, cups and coasters, Australians have confessed the best and worst Secret Santa presents they’ve ever received.
As the festive season kicks into full swing, research from the Lott revealed up to two-thirds of Aussies surveyed intended to participate in a Secret Santa gift swap in the weeks leading up to Christmas.
For 55% of people, the recipients of their Secret Santa gifts were their family, followed by 27% who swapped gifts with their work colleagues. Research also showed that 55% of people swapped gifts the week before Christmas or on Christmas Day.
The Lott spokesperson Bronwyn Spencer said it was interesting to discover what made people’s nice and not-so-nice Secret Santa presents list.
“Throughout the responses, several themes emerged with participants confessing some of the best presents they received were gift cards, a bottle of their favourite alcohol, soap or body wash sets, kitchen serving ware and of course Instant Scratch-Its tickets,” she said.
“However, there were a few responses that stood out as unique such as one person who said their favourite gift was photo-shopped pictures of themselves in various historical settings and another who said they would always treasure a cat in a sleeping bag figurine.
“Another person revealed a bulk packet of zip-ties was on their wish list and someone else was stoked to receive a solar powered light.
“It was also interesting to note that the gift that was overwhelmingly disliked for the worst Secret Santa present was a pair of socks, with perfume or cologne coming in a close second.
“Unfortunately for many of those surveyed, there were some who said they received no gift at all or a box of ‘nothing’ which is disappointing for many.
“While they were disappointed to receive nothing, perhaps they should spare a thought for the Aussies who said their worst present was a bulk pack of hair ties, a bag of clothes pegs, or a re-gifted photo frame that still included a wedding photo of the gift-giver.”
Ms Spencer also revealed there were several items that made both the best and worst lists.
“It’s a perfect example of the saying ‘one person’s trash is another person’s treasure’ with some people loving the perfume they received as a gift, while others thought choosing a scent for another individual was too personal,” she said.
“Other Aussies said they loved receiving a scented candle, a mug or a garden gnome while others said they re-gifted or threw away these gifts immediately.
“One thing that wasn’t re-gifted or thrown away was the gift of Instant Scratch-Its tickets with many of those surveyed saying they enjoyed the chance to win big prizes.”
Survey participants were also asked if they won a top prize on an Instant Scratch-Its ticket they received as a gift, would they share it with the gift giver.
“Christmas must be the season for sharing with 67% of Aussies saying they would share some of their prize with the gift-giver, while 21% weren’t sure and 12% of people said they would keep the entire prize to themselves,” Ms Spencer said.
“Many of those surveyed told us they intended to share any top prizes because it was the nice thing to do during the festive season and they wanted to share the Christmas spirit.
“Others said they would share it because usually the gift came from someone they loved and others said it was because they wanted to share that winning feeling.”
This year’s Instant Scratch-Its Christmas range features three different games $1 Santa’s Li’L Helper, $2 Seas’n Greetings and $5 Warm Wishes, which Ms Spencer said was perfect for the 52% of Aussies who said their budget for Secret Santa was $20.
“Nearly half of the respondents told us a selection of our limited-edition tickets inside a Christmas Card is the perfect gifting option for them to give to their Secret Santa,” she said.
“The second most popular gifting option for Instant Scratch-Its tickets was a novelty tree covered in Instant Scratch-Its (23%) followed by a range of Instant Scratch-Its inside a Christmas stocking (18%).
“However Aussies plan on gifting their Instant Scratch-Its tickets this Christmas, there is something in the range to suit everyone and many unique ways to share the winning feeling!”
The Instant Scratch-Its Christmas ticket range is now available at Instant Scratch-Its outlets in Queensland, New South Wales, the ACT, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and the Northern Territory.
Note: Not all games are available in all jurisdictions.
