yaaaaaaaaay
Secret Celestia is a Secret Santa gift exchange for members of our little community. Sign up, give a gift, and brighten someone's holiday season.


-- Questions and Answers --
HOLY NIGHT, I'M GONNA POST RIGHT THIS INSTANT!
tl;dr:
And for those of you who will read:Sign-ups end 11:59 PM Eastern on Sunday, November 11, and assignments will go out by forum PM soon after!
- Post a wish list in this thread!
- Send an e-mail to horsiesanta[at]gmail[dot]com with the following information:
- Your forums nickname
- Your name and a shipping address where you can receive a shipment! It needs to be enough info for your local postal service. DO NOT PM THIS, USE THE E-MAIL.
- Whether you are willing to have an international Santee (please yes!)
- and/or whether you are signing up as a Super Secret Santa or a Lovable Urchin, and whether you would like to send a postcard to an Urchin
- Whether you want your Secret Celestia package decorated or plain and discrete
- Receive your Secret Santee via PM, find a tasteful gift for them around $15-$20, and ship it!
- Share pictures of your Secret Santa gifts on December 25th in this thread, and have a big ol' holiday hugpile.
Who can sign up?
You can! Members of this forum old and new are welcome.
When do I have to sign up by?
Signups are open NOW and will close 11:59 PM EST on Sunday, November 11.
Should I sign up for international...?
If you can, yes! If it's difficult to ship internationally from home, it's okay to order something from your Santee's local Amazon or other e-tailer for them. International shipping can make things complicated, but our community is spread all over the world, so it's worth it!
Dealing with customs can be tricky, but if you pack things well and wrap your gifts in gift wrap, things should be pretty straightforward!
I guess if you just have to send your Santee a novelty bowling ball made of solid steel, it's fine to stick to domestic shipping (i.e. within the US, within the EU, etc.). But it better be a really nice solid steel novelty bowling ball!
What should I put in my wishlist?
Anything your fuzzy heart desires, as long as it's appropriate for polite company! Give a good variety of options, too, if you can! Snacks, hobby items, art supplies, pretty trinkets, an art print... General categories like "comic books" are fine, but remember that you Santa may not know your exact tastes! The more variety in your wishlist, the easier a time your Santa will have.
If there is something you *don't* want, say so! Strong preferences against, food allergies, etc.
Don't forget to say whether you want your package to be blinged out in horsie memes or not! Some folks like their Secret Santa gifts to be discrete, and that's okay!
What should I expect to send and get?
Secret Celestia gifts should represent true thoughtfulness and consideration. You should plan to spend about $15 to $20 on the gift itself, and expect to receive something about that value. It's okay to spend more, but if you spend less and it's really obvious you cheaped out... well, not only is that not cool, but you will be marked a Miser and banned from TRS.
What if I want to send my Santee something not on their wishlist? What if I'm not sure which thing is the best thing?
First of all, you can always PM me to relay questions to your Santee. You always have that option. But also, if you have come up with something that you think is really cool and worthwhile and excites you, share that!
If you're going to send a gag gift, please be sure your Santee will appreciate it.

What should I not send or include in my wishlist?
Nothing illegal to send or receive, nothing that would get seized by customs, and nothing that will break along the way. A few specifics from past experience:
- Nothing dangerous, even if it's a collectible (e.g. knives)
- Avoid perishables, especially meat and produce.
- Alcohol may be okay domestically, but it's usually a no-go internationally.
- Liquids need to be packed super well, because breaking happens and liquids fare the worst in that situation.
What are the Lovable Urchin/Super Secret Santa things?
As in past years, we will be matching people who want to send extra gifts (Super Secret Santas) with folks whose circumstances don't allow them to send gifts as part of the regular exchange (Lovable Urchins). Super Secret Santa sign-up is always "as circumstances allow," but I hope we can make it happen again! It's a really nice way to bring cheer to people who could really use it, and it brightens the holidays for all of us.
Additionally, I'd like to try something new this year! Everyone is encouraged to sign up to send a postcard to an Urchin! At each Urchin's request, cards can be sent individually if they're comfortable giving out their address, aggregated by me and sent all together to keep addresses more confidential, or skipped if the Urchin thinks this is a silly idea! I still have the cards I've received in previous years, myself, and I think they're lovely little keepsakes that remind me friendships and cheer.
New thing, but I hope it goes nicely and brings lots of smiles.
I signed up, but I've got a problem...
Let me know as soon as possible via PM! We'll figure it out, don't worry.
Okay, I've received a package. Now what?
Do your best not to open it until December 25th, your time! Things happen, but even if they do and you open it early, absolutely no posting about the contents until the 25th, either!
Photos and happy posts are real good. December 25th should be a tsunami of good holiday cheer! Sharing your excitement and joy is a gift in itself, for all of us.

I have other questions.
That's not a question. That said, you can always PM me for any reason. If you're going to discuss sensitive personal information, e-mail me at horsiesanta[at]gmail[dot]com instead, and send me a PM bugging me to check that e-mail box just in case!

Minty, calm down.