The reveal, with clues
At the party, each person describes the person they drew without saying the name: "loves coffee, always running late...". The group tries to guess, and only then come the hugs and the gift.
Brazilian Secret Santa, explained
A quick guide if you've been invited to a Brazilian group, live far away, or have never played before.
How the game works
Every year around the holidays, families, friends and coworkers in Brazil form a group. Everyone draws a name in secret and buys a gift for the person they drew.
Nobody says who they drew. It stays a secret until the gift exchange, when everyone reveals who they drew and hands over the gift.
It's simple: you give one gift and get one back. Nobody's left out, and nobody has to buy for the whole group.
Same game, different names
If you know it by another name, it's the same thing:
- Amigo oculto
- Minas Gerais and other parts of Brazil
- Secret Santa
- The US, the UK and other English-speaking countries
- Amigo invisible
- Spain and Argentina
- Intercambio de regalos
- Mexico and other parts of Latin America
What makes it Brazilian
An agreed budget
The group agrees on a gift budget ahead of time, in Brazilian reais. That way nobody overspends and nobody feels awkward.
From family to the office
There's Secret Santa with family, at work, at school, with the soccer crew. Plenty of people play in more than one group every December.
Twists on the game
Some groups play "amigo da onça" (roughly, "frenemy"), with funny or gag gifts. But the classic is a real gift, picked with care.
Invited, but living outside Brazil?
You can play from anywhere. The draw, the wish lists and the messages are all on the site, so distance doesn't matter.
- 1
Open the invitation
Use the link you got, then sign in or create an account. If the group needs approval, the organizer lets you in.
- 2
Make your wish list
Pick gifts from the Gift Showcase or write your own idea, with a link and a photo if you like. Your Secret Santa sees the list and gets the gift right.
- 3
Wait for the draw
Once the organizer draws names, you see only the name you drew, on the site and in your email.
- 4
Send the gift
Check the wish list of the person you drew and order from an online store that delivers in Brazil. Ask for their address through the secret channel, without saying who you are, ship it straight to them, and make sure your name isn't on the package.
Amigo Secreto doesn't ship anything: the purchase, payment and delivery are handled by the store you choose.
Can't make it to the party? Ask the group to bring you in on a video call for the reveal.
How it works on the site
Your whole Secret Santa in one place, no drawing names from a hat.
- Someone creates the group and sets the gift budget and the exchange date.
- Invite people with a link, by WhatsApp or by email, and everyone makes a wish list.
- The organizer runs the draw online, and each person sees only the name they drew.
- Until the party, you can send anonymous messages to the person you drew and chat with everyone on the group wall.
Quick questions
Do I need to speak Portuguese?
No. The site comes in Portuguese, English and Spanish: pick yours in the language menu. The invitation comes in the inviter's language; after that, emails come in the language you use on the site. Only what people write, like posts on the wall, shows up as written, and the products in the Gift Showcase are in Portuguese.
Is the budget in Brazilian reais?
Yes. The group sets the budget in reais, since it's a Brazilian game. If you live abroad, convert it to your currency before you pick the gift.
Can I join if I live outside Brazil?
Sure. Just join through the invitation. You make your list, get the name you drew and chat with the group like everyone else. The gift is the only part that takes planning: order early from a store that delivers in Brazil. If you won't be at the party, send your address to your Secret Santa through the secret channel.
Can I find out who my Secret Santa is?
No. The site shows each person only the name they drew: nobody sees anyone else's result. You can chat with your Secret Santa through the secret channel without knowing who they are, and the person you drew won't know it was you. The reveal happens at the party.
How much does it cost?
Creating a group, inviting people and the standard draw are free. There are optional paid features, and you see the price before you buy.
Ready to play?
Create a group for your crew or join with the invitation you got.