Christmas gifts for colleagues: what works

At the end of November the same scene plays out in many offices. Someone goes round with a mug borrowed from the kitchen, full of folded slips of paper, each with a name on it. Everyone draws one, glances at it and quickly pockets it. From then on, for three weeks, they have a little secret.

We think gift-giving between colleagues is a different genre from corporate gifting. Here it is not the company saying thank you for something; it is people giving to one another – which takes less money but more tact. If you are looking for guidance from the company's or the manager's point of view, we have thought about that in our piece on corporate Christmas gifts. This time we are talking about the gifts that pass between desks.

How does drawing names work at the office?

Simply: everyone draws one name and buys a present only for that one person. That way nobody has to get hold of fifteen little gifts, and nobody is left out. According to a survey published by Profession.hu in December 2025, 22 per cent of respondents give gifts at work by drawing names, and 38 per cent put together packages for one another within a smaller, self-organised circle.

Three things are worth settling in advance: the spending limit, the day of the handover, and the fact that taking part is voluntary. In a larger team you can use an online name-drawing tool instead of the mug; in a smaller group, though, the draw itself is a good excuse for a coffee together.

What should the spending limit be between colleagues?

One that everyone in the team can commit to without a second thought – the intern, the part-timer, and the person who happens to be buying for three children. The limit is not a measure of generosity. It is there so that everyone can take part with peace of mind.

It helps if the figure is a round one, and if someone says it out loud before anyone heads to the shops. The upper limit matters at least as much as the lower one: if one gift has visibly cost twice as much as the others, it brings not joy but awkwardness – even for the person who receives it.

Between colleagues, a good gift is one that embarrasses nobody – neither the giver nor the recipient.

What should you give a colleague you only know from the office?

Something that gets used up, or that can be taken home. A good tea, a handmade sweet treat, a box of coffee: you don't need to know their home, and they don't have to decide where to put it. If they take it home, their family gets to share it too, and that is often worth more than the object itself. With an edible gift, it is worth glancing at the allergens – a little thoughtfulness counts for a lot here.

Yet it is the accompanying line that decides the most. A note that doesn't say ‘Merry Christmas’ but ‘Thank you for taking over that client for me in March’ – that is what they will keep. We laugh at a novelty gift once. A sentence like that we keep for years.

What should a team leader give their own team?

If someone gives to their team in their own name rather than the company's, we recommend that everyone receives the same thing. What matters here is not choice but fairness: the new starter, the part-timer and the colleague who has been away for a longer time should all receive one too. If the company covers the cost, it becomes a company benefit; on tax questions, your accountant can give you a definitive answer. We have written in detail about the manager's perspective and quantity pricing on our corporate gifts page.

We had situations like this in mind for the GALAMBOM box, too. Inside is a handmade gingerbread biscuit from the Milimári Sütiműhely bakery in Budakeszi, and a hidden satin ribbon: pull it out and a single thought from a Christian saint is revealed. We have twenty-four different messages, in Hungarian and English. The message on the ribbon is in English. A box costs €4.20, or €4.00 each from ten boxes – for a team of twelve that comes to €48.05, and since parcel locker delivery within Hungary is free over €42.00, there is no shipping fee to add within Hungary (to Austria and Germany, shipping is €22.37). Allergens: gluten (rye), milk (butter), egg.

When should you organise the Christmas name draw?

By the end of November at the latest, so that everyone has two or three weeks left. The Hungarian name, ‘secret Mikulás’, is no accident, by the way: by tradition, St Nicholas gave his gifts in secret, and to this day that is the loveliest part of the draw – until the handover, nobody knows who their gift is from.

If you would like to order, allow for the lead time as well. Anything made by hand needs time: with us it is two to three weeks, and for larger quantities it is worth getting in touch at least six weeks in advance. For a mid-December handover, that means roughly mid-November for a smaller order and early November for a larger one.

What stays with you from a gift from a colleague?

Rarely the object itself. More the fact that someone we mostly spoke to by email all year once sat down and thought of us. In an office, that is no small thing. Perhaps that is why it is worth giving modestly but thoughtfully – because between colleagues, the measure itself is a message.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between Secret Santa and the ‘angel’ draw?

Essentially nothing: they are two common names for the same custom. Everyone draws one name and gives a gift only to that one colleague, within a spending limit agreed in advance. Until the handover, nobody knows who is giving to whom.

Do you have to take part in gift-giving at work?

No, and it is good if the organiser says so out loud. Taking part should be voluntary, and anyone who sits it out should not have to explain themselves. A small treat on a shared table, which everyone can help themselves to, helps make sure nobody feels left out.

What should you give a colleague you hardly know?

Something that gets used up or can be taken home: good tea, coffee, a handmade sweet treat. For these you don't need to know their taste or their home. A short handwritten line alongside says more than a more expensive but impersonal object.

Is it appropriate to give your boss a present?

There's no need. If the team would still like to, they can give a smaller gift together, with a shared greetings card. A gift given individually, just to the manager, can easily put both them and the rest of the team in an awkward position.

Can the company pay for gifts between colleagues?

It can, but then it becomes a company benefit, and different rules apply. How it should be accounted for tax purposes is something the company's accountant can tell you – we do not give tax advice.

How long does a handmade gift take to arrive?

Our lead time is two to three weeks, plus delivery; for larger corporate orders it is worth getting in touch at least six weeks in advance. GALAMBOM boxes ship from early November 2026.