#15 - A Sparkling Secret Santa

Lily is in a good mood. Tonight is Secret Santa, and with Christmas just around the corner, she’s determined to make it extra festive. This year, the names aren’t simply in a bag. Oh no, Lily has packed each name tag into… balloons. Ones filled with some glitter, by the way. “It’s going to be a blast tonight!” she laughs. To get your name, you’ll have to pop your balloon.

Nine colorful helium balloons, each tied with a string, float against the ceiling, ready for the grand reveal. The youngest, Jack, goes first. With a mischievous grin, he leaps onto his balloon. BAM! A cloud of golden glitter fills the room. The family dog, Charlie, bolts out of his bed, barking at the sudden explosion. “Glitter, Lily?!” cries her sister Lisa. “That’s going to be a nightmare to clean up!” This is shaping up to be a very sparkly Christmas.

 Ben, Lily’s husband, takes a more calculated approach. He grabs a fork to pop his balloon, but it bounces away and bursts over Jack. “Dad! Now I’m covered in glitter too!” he exclaims in mock horror.

At the end, the final balloon is for Lily. Armed with a pin, she dramatically pierces it. Pop! Glitter showers the room as a folded name card—securely sealed with a Christmas sticker—lands just shy of Louis’s wine glass. Sneakily, she peeks at the name… Jack! Cool!

Normally, this is the point where chaos ensues: “Oh no, I got myself!” or “Not the same person as last year!” The room would devolve into a mess of negotiations as people try to swap while clinging to their pre-planned gift ideas. But not this year. No sighs, no complaints. Phew! Well done, Lily. What she doesn’t notice, however, is the mysterious grin spreading across three faces. 

At Christmas Day, the truth will come out: Lisa, Louis, ànd Jules all somehow managed to pull their own names. That’s three people guaranteed to love their “surprise” gift.

No, no, this year, everyone is happy with Secret Santa. Everyone, except… Charlie. With a glittery nose and a bored expression, he glances around the room as if to say, “Did anyone draw my name?”

Oops.

Looking for fun name tags? Download them for free HERE.