Secret Santa

I'm of the opinion that gift cards should be banned from Secret Santa. The reason is two fold. First, gift cards are the white flag of gift giving. Second, gifts are supposed to be about the thought and gift cards require no brain cells.

Here's the rub. It's kind of an embarrassment. While people are at least getting something, you get stuck with an errand. Even the person that gets new socks makes you feel jealous and frustrated that you got a five dollar gift card to Chipotle. No one wants to show someone else that they got a gift card to Chipotle. No one wants to say how cool it was that your Secret Santa took the time to go get a gift card.

I don't want to sound ungrateful. The problem is that Secret Santa is about being gutsy and gift cards are so safe it borders on cowardice. Any other time, gift cards are fine if you just can't figure out what to get someone. But Secret Santa is about really taking that extra step. And honestly, Secret Santa has some immunity because if they got you something weird...it's not like you'll hold it against them.

Unless it's a gift card.