|♥| Chicken Smoothie Secret Santas |♥| 2023 |♥| CLOSED

[Targaryen]

NEW ANNOUNCEMENT

♥ Secret Santa's Letter Box ♥

• 2023 Chicken Smoothie Secret Santas will open applications on Wednesday 1st November 2023!
  
  Please read over everything and spread the word!
• Registration will end at 11:59 PM UTC (CS Time) on Wednesday, November 30th.
  
  Click here for the current time in UTC (CS Time).
• It is now a requirement that upon application you write a letter to Santa on the Letter Box Thread.
  
  You can find the Letter Box thread and more information on it here.

• SOME THINGS WILL BE CHANGING THIS YEAR: RE RARITY TIERS, ART IN GIFTS, LETTERS REQUIRING PREAPPROVAL, ETC.
  
  For a breakdown of the results from our feedback poll last year, please view the post below here.

Please read everything in full in order to participate in the event!

CS Secret Santas are members of the CS community who build up a collection of gifts for another user for Christmas. This annual holiday gifting event started back in 2011! Many members have participated in this event over the years and have had a fantastic Christmas thanks to the generous players partaking in this event.

Secret Santa is a popular holiday game/event where everyone gets to be a Secret Santa and is randomly assigned someone else to gift. You aren't allowed to tell anyone who you are gifting and you won't know who is going to gift you. The whole point of this is to collect gifts for the person that you are a Secret Santa for and give it to them on Christmas.

Please remember when participating that this is a gifting event for people who want to make Christmas more special for others. We encourage our participants to gift others without expecting the same value or more back from their Santa.

Do try your hardest.

You should give this your all! Do your very best to give your assigned person a great Christmas present!
Do ask questions if you have any.

If you have a question, chances are someone else may have the same question. I may even post your question in the FAQ.

Don't say who you are a Secret Santa for.

Or else why would it be called Secret Santa?
Don't harass or be rude to other Santas.

Teasing, bullying, insults, or harassment will not be tolerated. If you have problems with another player, please contact me or one of the Little Elves.
Don't ask for donations.

Try your best to obtain gifts for your assigned person by your own means!
Don't spam this thread.

Keep all discussion on-topic. You're welcome to chat all you'd like in the Secret Santa Discord.
Gifts should be given because you want to give!

The purpose of the event is to allow users to gift others because they want to - not because they expect the same or more back in return!
NEW! You must write a letter to your Secret Santa

You can find the Secret Santa's Letter Boxhere

Once registration closes, you will receive a Secret Santa and be assigned someone to be a Secret Santa for. Throughout the month of December, you will collect gifts for the person that you are a Secret Santa for and give it to them on Christmas.

There are 3 tiers that you can sign up for: the Very Uncommon Tier, the Rare Tier, and the Very Rare Tier. You can sign up for any number of tiers, but if you sign up for multiple tiers, you will be randomly assigned to a tier once registration closes.

You must provide a gift worth no less than the minimum of your tier. Your Santa will do the same for you. For example, if you sign up for the Rare Tier, the gift you send to your assigned person must contain at least 1 rare pet, along with very uncommon, uncommon, common, very common, extremely common and OMG so common pets. You will also receive at least 1 rare pet, along with very uncommon, uncommon, common, very common, extremely common and OMG so common pets from your Secret Santa. You can still send a gift with much more valuable pets, though!

Here are the 3 tiers that you can sign up for:

Tier 1 - Very Uncommon Tier

• You are only expected to gift at least 1 Very Uncommon pet.
  
• Your gift doesn't need to only include very uncommon pets.
  
• You should include very uncommon, uncommon, common, very common and OMG so common pets.
• You may include rare, very rare, extremely rare or OMG so rare pets in your gift, but you probably won't get any in return.

Tier 2 - Rare Tier

• You are expected to gift at least 1 rare pet.
• Your gift doesn't need to only include rare pets.
• You should include rare, very uncommon, etc pets.
• You may include very rare, extremely rare or OMG so rare pets in your gift, but you probably won't get any in return.

Tier 3 - Very Rare Tier

• You are expected to gift at least 1 very rare pet.
• You should include very rare, rare, very uncommon, etc pets.
• You may include extremely rare or OMG so rare pets in your gift, but you probably won't get any in return.

If you would like to be surprised by the tier you are in, and don't mind if it is any of the three tiers, you are allowed to do so!

Interested in giving and receiving art gifts? Please read below.

We had a LOT of feedback last year regarding art gifts.

70% of responses in our feedback form from last year requested an option to opt in or out of giving/receiving art gifts.

We also received feedback from people frustrated that art did not count towards the tier minimum as art can be expensive to commission, and some people primarily only asked for art from their Santa.

As such we are implementing the following changes to Secret Santa:

1. On your sign-up form you can request to be paired with someone who would also be interested in giving/receiving art.

If you request this but we are unable to assign you to someone else interested in giving/receiving art gifts, we will notify you upon assigning you to your chosen Secret Santa giftee.

2. To address the issue about art as a stocking stuffer: Santas can request that we ask the giftee if they are comfortable with art commissions being used to meet the tier minimum requirement of the gift, so long as the art gift [did cost or is roughly valued at] the tier minimum or higher instead.

Please keep in mind that the value of art is subjective and by requesting or agreeing to have the art you are gifted be valued at the minimum tier threshold of your gift you accept responsibility for the fact that there are different interpretations of what art pieces may be valued at.

If it is agreed by the Santa, the Giftee, and the Elves that it is possible for the art to meet the minimum gift tier, we elaborate that it is important that the Santa makes sure to provide stocking stuffers such as pets below the tier requirement, items, C$, etc.

Registration is now CLOSED! ♥

Code: Select all

♥ [url=PROFILELINKGOESHERE]usernamegoeshere[/url]
[b]Will you dedicate yourself to being a Santa?:[/b]
[b]Why do you want to be a Santa?:[/b]
[b]Have you read the Rules & FAQ?:[/b]
[b]What tier(s) would you like to sign up for?:[/b]
[b]Would you like to be paired with someone interested in giving/receiving art?[/b]
[b]Please attach a link of your letter to Santa in the 2023 Letterbox thread:[/b]
[b]Other:[/b]
[size=50]#membershipform[/size]

Frequently asked questions can be found here!

Spread the word and help us advertise! I can also make custom ones for you if you'd like!
Advertisements can be found here!

[Targaryen]

Lead Elf - Targaryen
I'm running the event again this year in Rogue's stead. I'm available for any questions and
queries about the event, so don't hesitate to shoot me a PM!












Veteran Elf - ♔Voltaire♔












Veteran Elf - LissaJo











Little Elf - moon gem











Little Elf - Lemon Coyote











Little Elf - Arya22











Little Elf - librarycat









We are no longer currently recruiting helpers. If the event gets busier we may reopen applications.

[Targaryen]

Hi everyone, welcome back to CS Secret Santa 2023.

We really appreciate the feedback everyone left in 2022 and we hope to offer some small changes to help the event go better this year.

Art Gifts

We had a LOT of feedback last year regarding art gifts.

70% of responses in our feedback form from last year requested an option to opt in or out of giving/receiving art gifts.

We also received feedback from people frustrated that art did not count towards the tier minimum as art can be expensive to commission, and some people primarily only asked for art from their Santa.

While CS Secret Santa aims to primarily be a CS focused event, art is a large part of the community and many participants really enjoy giving/gifting art so it is important for us to facilitate this as much as possible in the event.

As such we are implementing the following changes to Secret Santa:

1. On your sign-up form you can request to be paired with someone who would also be interested in giving/receiving art.
If you request this but we are unable to assign you to someone else interested in giving/receiving art gifts, we will notify you upon assigning you to your chosen Secret Santa giftee.

2. To address the issue about art as a stocking stuffer: Santas can request that we ask the giftee if they are comfortable with
art commissions being used to meet the tier minimum requirement of the gift, so long as the art gift [did cost or is roughly valued at] the tier minimum or higher instead.

Please keep in mind that the value of art is subjective and by requesting or agreeing to have the art you are gifted be valued at the minimum tier threshold of your gift you accept responsibility for the fact that there are different interpretations of what art pieces may be valued at.

If it is agreed by the Santa, the Giftee, and the Elves that it is possible for the art to meet the minimum gift tier, we elaborate that it is important that the Santa makes sure to provide stocking stuffers such as pets below the tier requirement, items, C$, etc.

Letters

63.4% of respondents stated they agreed letters should be a hard requirement to join the event. 23.8% said maybe.

We have had a lot of feedback airing frustration about the people they were paired with having not written a letter, having too vague a letter or having a letter which primarily requested pets/items/etc far beyond the scope of the tier they signed up for.

We have decided to make letters a requirement upon sign-up.

Having letters be a hard requirement, and those letters requiring pre-approval will allow the elf team to more sufficiently monitor all the letters posted and make sure they are compliant with the spirit of the event.

It creates a lot more hassle for both Santas and Elves to try to communicate with participants and encourage them to write more helpful letters when the event is in full swing and enable us all to be more confident about participating in the event.

We will be trying to offer more encouraging letter templates to help facilitate everyone in writing a better letter to Santa this year.

Tier Requirements

96% of respondents liked the tier requirements last year and as such we've decided not to really change much apart from how art may be agreed to fit the minimum tier requirement as mentioned above.

The only minor change is that the "Uncommon" tier has now become the "Very Uncommon" tier.

Respondents noted last year that the very-rare tier was too wide in scope as a very rare pet can mean a 2022 store pet or an '08 ex-list dog. Hopefully now that the rarities have recently changed this will be less of an issue this year. We will keep this in mind and monitor 2023 participants thoughts on the matter and consider changes for next year if we find it to be best.

[Targaryen]

Are Secret Santas auto-accepted?

No - this used to be the case. Santas will have to have their own letter to Santa approved by an elf before they are accepted. We will message you when we can confirm that you have been accepted to sign up. If there are issues with your letter, we will let you know.

When does registration close?

Once a registration deadline has been decided, I'll make an announcement and post it in the News section. Registration ends on November 30th though, so you guys have the month of December to collect gifts for your assigned person.

How do I put my profile link and username in the form?

Here's a link to a little mini tutorial.

Who do I gift?

Once registration closes, you will receive a PM from either me or one of the Little Elves with your randomly assigned person to gift.

How am I assigned who to give a gift to?

First, everyone is split into their respective tiers. If someone signed up for multiple tiers, they're randomly assigned to one of the tiers they signed up for. Then within each tier, the list of all players in the tier is randomized. Finally, we assign people to gift the person below them on each randomized list. For example, for each tier, the first person on the list gifts the second person, the second person on the list gifts the third person, etc. until the last person on the list gifts the first person. This way, everyone is randomly assigned someone to gift within their tier and it's impossible to get a gift from the same person that you're gifting!

Can I be a Secret Santa for more than one user?

No, you can't. In order to keep everything fair, everyone will give one gift and get one gift. However, it's always up to you how many people you want to gift outside of this event!

When do I gift?

You can send your gift after midnight on Christmas day according to CS time (UTC). You'll have 24 hours after that to send out your gifts before the Elves and I start checking in with everyone, since we're all in different time zones and people may need to send out their gifts out according to their own schedules. If you know you can't send your gift exactly on Christmas day, contact me or one of the Little Elves in advance.

How much do I give them?

Your gift must be worth at least the minimum of your tier. There is no maximum, though! Since you have the entire month of December up until Christmas day to collect gifts, I highly encourage everyone to go above and beyond to try and make your assigned person's Christmas extra special. If you're feeling super generous, you're even welcome to sign up for a lower tier but send gifts valued at a higher tier, knowing that you'll probably receive a gift of much lower value.

Do I have to gift a dream pet?

No, you don't. You're only required to gift within your tier. Dream pets are usually are really expensive, so don't worry about it too much. If you're feeling super generous, you could definitely try, though.

Does the gift have to be on their wishlist?

It doesn't have to be, but it's highly encouraged. People are more likely to keep what they get if it's on their wishlist. Check their letter to Santa to see if there's anything else they'd like and just try your very best to make them happy!

Can I gift items, C$, art, or off-site items?

Yes, you can. Check their Letter to Santa to see if they'll like getting items, C$, art, or off-site items.

What if I don't know what they want?

They should have written a letter to Santa. If you need help locating their letter, feel free to ask elves. If you want to ask them further questions about what they'd like, you can also ask us to message them to ask for further clarification.

When the time comes, what do I say in my message?

Something along the lines of... "Hi ____, I was your Secret Santa! I hope you enjoy my gift!" Personalize it, make them feel awesome, and try to make their day!

What happens if someone doesn't give a gift?

I will contact them to ask about their situation and ask them to immediately gift whoever they were assigned to gift. It may just be because they forgot to gift it at the right time, they were busy, or some other justified reason. However, if they knowingly didn't gift the person they were assigned to gift, refuses to give a gift, and just takes the gift that was given to them by their Secret Santa, they will be banned from ever participating again. I will then personally gift whoever doesn't get a gift.

Why does registration open so early?

I gather up as many Secret Santas as possible throughout the month of November so that PMs can be sent out with who everyone is assigned to gift and the event can officially begin on December 1st.This gives everyone the entire month of December up until Christmas day to gather gifts.

Why is this not in the Free Adoptions forum?

The Free Adoptions forum is used for one person to give everyone else gifts, whereas in the Secret Santa event, multiple players give gifts to each other. This is an event based around a group of players, so the Clubs and armies forum is the best place for it.

Are other gifting games like this allowed?

Normally, events where the creator isn't the only person giving away gifts aren't allowed. I get special permission every year to continue Secret Santa. The only other annual gifting games like this that are allowed are Lights On Lights Off for Halloween and Holibombs for Christmas, and they're run by some of the Chicken Smoothie staff.

[Targaryen]

CS Secret Santas is now open to join. We will be adding updates to the letterbox shortly, please bare with us.

[♥HazelNightmare]

♥ ♥HazelNightmare
Will you dedicate yourself to being a Santa?: Of course I Will!
Why do you want to be a Santa?: I love giving to others and spreading holiday cheer! This something I do each year with my daughter !
Have you read the Rules & FAQ?: Yes
What tier(s) would you like to sign up for?: Very rare
Would you like to be paired with someone interested in giving/receiving art? No thank you
Please attach a link of your letter to Santa in the 2023 Letterbox thread:
Other: Thank you for putting this together each year!
#membershipform

[onion]

♥ onion
Will you dedicate yourself to being a Santa?: always!
Why do you want to be a Santa?: i love giving, simple as that!
Have you read the Rules & FAQ?: yes!
What tier(s) would you like to sign up for?: very rare (vr)
Would you like to be paired with someone interested in giving/receiving art? yes!
Please attach a link of your letter to Santa in the 2023 Letterbox thread: here you go!
Other: thanks so much!!! :>
#membershipform

[JustDucky]

♥ JustDucky
Will you dedicate yourself to being a Santa?: Yes
Why do you want to be a Santa?: I have done it the last 2 or 3 years and it gives me a purpose on CS. I love searching for the perfect gift. <3
Have you read the Rules & FAQ?: Yes
What tier(s) would you like to sign up for?: Very Rare tier
Would you like to be paired with someone interested in giving/receiving art? No thanks
Please attach a link of your letter to Santa in the 2023 Letterbox thread: Here you go!
Other: Thank you so much for taking the time to organize this event! <3
#membershipform

[marmoris]

♥ marmoris
Will you dedicate yourself to being a Santa?: yes!
Why do you want to be a Santa?: i've participated in the past and found it quite fun to both give and receive a little christmas joy!
Have you read the Rules & FAQ?: yes
What tier(s) would you like to sign up for?: very rare tier
Would you like to be paired with someone interested in giving/receiving art? receiving art yes, giving art, no. if this is not allowed then no ^^
Please attach a link of your letter to Santa in the 2023 Letterbox thread: here!
Other: thank you and a very early happy holidays to all
#membershipform

[axelandria]

♥ axelandria
Will you dedicate yourself to being a Santa?: absolutely
Why do you want to be a Santa?: i have participated in previous years, and it is always so much fun to put effort into giving a gift to a random stranger <3
Have you read the Rules & FAQ?: yes
What tier(s) would you like to sign up for?: tier 3 - very rare
Would you like to be paired with someone interested in giving/receiving art? recieving yes, giving no
Please attach a link of your letter to Santa in the 2023 Letterbox thread: :)
Other: i love this game <3
#membershipform