How To Play Dirty Santa

If you are going to a Dirty Santa party or arranging an event, you will want to know exactly how to play Dirty Santa. You may already have read about the history and the tradition of this holiday event, you may also have read the rules and variations of Dirty Santa game play, but just like for most people, it will be easier to understand how it all works by participating or following an actual game play.

Let’s dive right in! Here we are going to have two examples of Dirty Santa game with set numbers of players, specific rules and variations set so you can see exactly how the exchange process would play out. Here are the examples:

Example 1 (7 players, player 1 gets last call)
Example 2 (10 players, 3 minute timed ending)

Example One

Players: 7
Max gift price: $20
Theme: None
Variation: 3 Steals and gift is out; First player gets one more steal


Organizer lets all 7 players that RSVP-ed know about the event. Players are notified about the date that the game will take place, that they can not spend more than 20 dollars and the gifts can be anything because there is no theme set. Instructions clearly state to wrap the gifts well with optional tag to say if it’s best for male or female player.

During The Party

Only 6 players show up. Guests each bring one wrapped gift and place it in a single pile. The organizer cuts up a piece of paper into 6 pieces and marks them with numbers from 1 to 6. Each pieces of paper is dropped in a box.

Everyone takes out a piece of paper to see their number and then form a circle around the gifts in the order that they received on the piece of paper.

All of a sudden the 7th player shows up. Because they missed the number draw, they will be number 7.

The game begins.

Player 1 picks a gift up, opens it and shows it to everyone. It’s an MP3 player.

Player 2 decides to steal the gift from the first player, so Player 2 takes MP3 player from Player 1.

Player 1 opens another gift.

Player 3 opens another unopened gift.

Player 4 decides to steal the MP3 player from Player 2.

Player 2 opens another gift.

Player 5 steals the MP3 player from Player 4. Because this game is using the “3 Steals and gift is out” variation and the MP3 player now has been stolen 3 times, MP3 player is now out of the game and so is Player 5, who will keep this gift but won’t be able to swap any more.

Player 6 decides to open another gift.

Player 7 decides to steal from Player 3.

Player 3 decides to open one last unopened gift.

Now all the gifts are opened. Generally Dirty Santa exchange varies from the other Christmas gift exchanges because more stealing is encouraged, either by timed mandatory swapping in the end or minimum steals. There are many variations for continuing the game, but in this example, the organizer has indicated that the Player 1 gets one last swap.

Player 1 decides to swap Player 2.

Player 2 decides to keep the swapped gift, so the game ends.

Example Two

Players: 10
Max gift price: $25
Theme: GAG Gifts
Variation: 3 minute timed steal round ending


Organizer emails 10 players that RSVP-ed to let them know about the date and rules of the Dirty Santa party. Rules include maximum spending limit of 25 dollars, “GAG” theme, meaning all participants are encouraged to bring novely funny items.

During The Party

Everyone shows up to the party. The party planner cuts up paper into 10 pieces, shuffle them and randomly hands them out to all the guests. Now everyone knows their number, so guests sit down around the pile of 10 gifts in clockwise order accoring to the number they got.

The game begins.

Player 1 opens the first gift.

Player 2 opens another gift.

Player 3 opens third unopened gift. It’s a funny sweater.

Player 4 steals a gift from Player 3.

Player 3 wants to steal the funny sweater back from Player 4, but can’t, because Dirty Santa rules proghibit stealing a gift that was just stolen from you.

Player 3 opens another gift.

Player 5 steals a gift from Player 1.

Player 1 opens another gift.

Player 6 opens unopened gift.

Player 7 steals from Player 6.

Player 6 steals from Player 2.

Player 2 opens another gift.

Player 8 opens another gift.

Player 9 steals from Player 8.

Player 8 opens another gift.

Player 10 opens the last unopened gift.

Now that all the gifts are opened, and the rules have a 3 minute ending timer variation enabled, the organizer sets a timer at 3 minutes and the mandatory stealing starts. Player 1 has to steal from somebody, and that somebory will have to steal from someone else. This process continues until the timer ends. At that point everyone ends up with the gift they have in their hand and the game is over!

Few Gift Ideas - more

View More Gifts

Dirty Santa Facts

You don't have to stick with regular Dirty Santa gifts and can set a theme as part of the game rules. For example a theme could be "Funny Mugs", "Candles", "Funny Clothing" or just about anything.

When planning a Dirty Santa Party, the organizers must set a maximum amount allowed to be spent on a gift. The most common amount set in rules and spent happens to be 20 dollars.

Unveiling a gift can be as fun as the gift itself, this is why as a trick, people love to wrap a gift many many times to make unwrapping pain in the butt for the recipient. Frustration on the face of the giftee can be priceless.