Does the arena do a secret santa?

[Englishgothgirl]

Does the arena do a secret santa?

I do a secret santa on the Pug Forum & sphynx cat forum that I am on, but do arena members do a secret santa? 

It's great fun :-)

[LazuliRose]

That does sound like fun!
(Stalking thread)

[SourdoughStomper]

Perhaps you could be more specific? Do you mean sending actual ponies or do you mean something online?

[xkelpiex]

Stalking this!

[Oneleo1]

The arena does a MASSIVE holiday swap We have no limit to how many can participate in the Arena Holiday swaps, and there are several different types and levels. The posts for the holiday swaps will be popping up soon!

[Englishgothgirl]

Well what we do on the other forums for example, its a bit different as your'e buying for people and their pets
so you'd give some basic details i.e

Likes / dislikes
Any allergies you have
what pets and how many (dogs /cats) and if they have any allergies i.e wheat free food only
what you would love to get, what you would rather not get
any info about you,
will you post international etc.

Then everyone gets matched up, and you send some gifts to your partner, and a little card saying who its from, but no-one finds out who their santa was until they receive the presents with the card in them, normally you have a set opening day, i.e 20th december, so everyone posts by the say 20th november, to assure they arrive in tame then everyone opens on the same day and posts pictures of what they got, on a "secret santa opening thread"

For example here are some pictures from last year of what we got in our secret santa on the pug forum, we got some things for our pug and some candy for us as we put down we'd rather have presents for our pug than us

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[SourdoughStomper]

Yep, you've just described the Arena's annual holiday swap! We're gearing up to get that started soon. We have pony swaps, sock swaps, card swaps, art swaps, maybe even a different one or two this year.

*tries to remember if this is our 8th or 9th annual swap coming up*

[MoonHawke]

Puppy!!

I mean, I've done a secret santa on another forum, but it was years ago. One of the mod's wives was nice enough to step up and handle assigning partners based on who signed up.

There wasn't a set day to open gifts, but everyone posted pics and thank you posts after they had received their gifts. It was a lot of fun, and I look forward to seeing what the Arena does. 

[banditpony]

AWW Look at the cutie pug!

I REALLY hope to finally be apart of the official arena swop this year *^O^*

[Englishgothgirl]

Sounds fun

But what I meant when I said secret santa, its all those swaps balled into one, where you get paired up at random and buy your partner a few gifts based on what they've put down as their interests :-)

[ashes]

We separate out the swaps so they are easier to manage, and it gives something for everyone to choose according to their interests.  But you don't know who is sending the package to you in the Holiday Swap, so that part of it is "secret."

[DazzleKitty]

Aren't swaps kind of the same thing?

If this does come to fly, I'd love to do it if I am allowed to. I am in two pony swaps already, though. Not sure if this would take up a slot on my allowed list.   I do love Secret Santa things. I am hoping my office does one this year.

[lovesbabysquirmy]

I can't wait for the Card Swap again this year, to be honest...   

[hathorcat]

The Arena swaps are great fun...the reason we divide them up into different swaps as SDS mentions is because there are so many of us! And so many people always keen to take part. It makes it more manageable for everyone and ensures people can be in the swap which is most of interest to them

Most swaps involve adding "extras" and non pony things to a swap box - based on their interests and likes. Its expected in most swaps that extra items suited to your partner will be included and the Holiday swaps are no different than this. So if you were sending to your partner you would be able to look at the items on their "personal" list and include them in their parcel. In many ways it is a secret santa but with ponies.

Dazzlekitty - yes, the Arena swap would count towards your swap total.

[Princess-Sparkles]

I'd love to join a Christmas swap, I think it depends on money.. I'll at the very least join the card swap. ^_^ I can't wait for it, they're a lot of fun.