Dear (secret) santa

One of our family (pre)-Christmas traditions is the writing and exchange of Christmas lists.  It never really occurred to me until recently how potentially strange it is for a grown man to be writing a list 'for santa' still, although these days it is an email that goes to Mum and siblings.  We don't think it strange, quite useful in fact to have a few hints, especially when you don't see each other much, but Konna has always found the whole thing odd and refuses to write a list for herself (and looks oddly at whatever item I have suggested to some member of my family). On the other hand she usually agrees or even buys herself, her present from her Mum, and is certainly not above heavy hints to me. At least our way there is some element of surprise...

This year we are making a major change to our tradition in that we are testing a secret-santa present system (i.e. buying only 1 'main' present for a random sibling/parent, and small stocking/tree gifts for the rest), which has been greeted with some skepticism.  Unfortunately my siblings don't seem to have thought about the 4x extra buying power per gift this system implies (or have I just inferred it?).  I was looking forward to being able to get someone a 'better' present this year - but the suggestions are rather meager, which means I am desperately wracking my brain and surfing the internet for inspiration...

Personally I think writing a good christmas list is an art, and my lists are (of course) far superior to my siblings in imagination and scope.  There are certain rules to the form:

1. There shall be at least 1 unfeasibly expensive item (in case someone wins the lottery)
2. There shall be more items on the list than members of family (that surprise element)
3. There be at least 1 extremely boring and mundane item that you actually need
4. There shall be a range of similar items (e.g. 3 different DVD's so you don't know which one you're getting when you're unwrapping the package)
5. The thing you really, really want shall be in the middle of the list somewhere (to see if someone has been listening to hints)
6. There shall be at least 1 item it is impossible to buy
7. There shall be 1 item that was on last year's list

Writing the list has just become part of the seasonal ritual, like making mince pies and decorating the tree. But when it comes down to it I don't really care what I actually get, anything nicely wrapped works for me.  Being there to give out the presents is much more fun, especially when you see you got the 'right' things (and particularly when it wasn't on a list). Maybe next year...