Family Secret Santa ends in drama

A family's secret Santa ended up causing a major argument after it was blighted by a suspicious illness.

Posting on Mumsnet, a member of the family explained that they had decided to play the game rather than buying each other presents to save money.

All was going well until two members of the family who are partners said they couldn't come to the gift exchange because they were ill.

Or were they? "I feel annoyed by this," the post's author wrote. "Partly because I am not sure they're unwell. I think they didn't buy secret Santa presents therefore are just not going to come.

"I feel upset that 2 people won't get their present today," the continued.

Sign up to our free Indy100 weekly newsletter

"And I'm annoyed with myself because when [my partner] suggested it, I just knew that these two family members would likely do this. But we didn't want to not include them and they said they were happy to do it at the time. And I felt guilt for being negative."

Commenting on the post, people offered their solutions to the issue.

"Would anyone be able to pop by theirs and collect their gifts?" one suggested. "It could be they are genuinely ill, only you know if they are more likely to have not got anything and made up the illness. If they have no gifts to give then can their presents be given in place of the ones they were meant to give?"

Another wrote: "Just go and pick them up!"

And a third wrote: "Also they may be ill. About half the people I know are ill at the moment."

What would you do?

Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.