No account to take part
Everyone joins with one tap on the invitation link. They share only a name and an email to find out who they got. No password, no account.
A Secret Santa called Cuchumbo
The names go on slips of paper, the slips go into a cup, and the cup gets shaken. In Honduras and El Salvador that cup is called a cuchumbo, and that's where the game got its name; in Colombia the same game is known as amigo secreto. The same draw is played from Mexico to Argentina, by way of Guatemala, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Chile and Uruguay, and across the Atlantic in Spain. Then everyone reaches in, draws a slip, and keeps the secret until gift day. Here the app does the shaking: it hands out the invitations, keeps the hints and sends the reminders. That way the draw stays sealed, even from the organizer.
No account to take part · Free · Deletes itself about 6 months after gift day
Popular gift ideas
Gift ideas picked to match the season. As an Amazon Associate, Cuchumbo earns from qualifying purchases. Links open Amazon in a new tab.
How you use it
You name the exchange, pick gift day and share one link. Your people join with a tap: a name and an email, no password and no account. Everyone leaves their hints and sees only who they got.
Run your Secret Santa in a minute
The draw stays sealed
Not even the organizer can see the result. After the draw, everyone can open only their own.
Everyone reads it in their own language
Everyone picks the language they read in. The pages, the emails and the reminders follow along.
How it works, in 3 steps
Create the exchange
Give it a name, pick gift day and add a budget if you like. Under a minute.
Invite your people
Share the invitation link. Everyone joins with one tap, leaves their hints and waits for the draw.
What it looks like
A peek at what you'll be running: your organizer page, the invitation link, the moment everyone finds out who they got. Nothing to install, no account needed.
What you see as the organizer
What your invitation looks like
What your people see when they find out who they got
At home, at the office, or far apart
Christmas dinner with the family, the year-end party at the office, or a Secret Santa with friends scattered across cities: Cuchumbo fits any group that loves to give.
Rules, gift ideas and how to run it
Rules
Ground rules that keep the surprise intact: nobody repeats, nobody draws themselves, and the organizer doesn't find out either.
Gift ideas
Low-pressure ideas for every budget and every kind of relationship, sorted by theme, so you can pick a gift and get on with your day.
How to run it
The full playbook: inviting a group that spans time zones, running the reveal from a distance, and the little touches that make it unforgettable.
The same game, other names
Beyond those, the same slips of paper show up under other names. Spain says amigo invisible. Germany plays Wichteln, and settles the funny gifts with a White Elephant. The Netherlands closes the year with Sinterklaas instead. In Japan, Secret Santa shows up at the office with etiquette of its own. Different name, same secret kept.
Guides
Occasions
Secret Santa · Office
Office-safe rules, discreet participation and a sealed draw: the playbook for work.
Secret Santa · Family
One invitation link brings the whole family together, across languages and countries.
Secret Santa · Remote
Shipping windows, a reveal on everyone's own time, digital gifts: built for teams that are far apart.
Season 2026
Dates, shipping buffers and realistic budgets for this year's Secret Santa.
Rules
Office edition
A workplace exchange has different risks than a family one: people need to be able to opt out without explaining, the budget has to suit everyone, and nobody should feel singled out. Four rules for getting there.
Virtual edition
Rules ready to paste into the chat of a group that can't meet: friends in different cities, a scattered family or a remote team. They cover the budget, shipping, gift day and digital gifts.
For kids
Secret Santa rules for kids, easy to explain: simple gifts, a grown-up who helps, keeping the secret and saying thank you.
White Elephant
White Elephant rules explained: how turns are drawn, how many times a gift can be stolen and when it's locked.
How to run it
Large groups
A group of eight organizes itself. A group of thirty needs deadlines, one place for information and a plan for dropouts. How to run it without chaos.
The draw in your WhatsApp group
How to run a Secret Santa or gift exchange draw from a WhatsApp group: share one link, everyone signs up and gets their result privately. Free, no account.
With kids
How to run a Secret Santa with kids: separate draws by age, a kids' budget, a shorter wait and the parents' role.
Doing it every year
How to repeat a Secret Santa every year: reuse the list, avoid repeat pairs, change the theme and bring newcomers in.
Gift ideas
For work
Office-safe picks that land whether you know them well or barely at all.
Last-minute
You have 24 hours. What you can still pull off, without panicking.
Under $20
Thoughtful ideas that feel generous without giving away the price tag.
Handmade
Time and care: the two things money can't imitate.
Frequently asked questions
Is Cuchumbo free?
Yes, completely. Creating a gift exchange, inviting your people and drawing the names costs nothing.
Do participants need an account?
No. Everyone joins through their own invitation link: no sign-up and no password.
Can the organizer see who got whom?
How many people can join?
There's no fixed limit. It works for a few friends or a whole office, as long as you can keep track of everyone.
What languages is Cuchumbo available in?
Fourteen languages: English, Spanish, Japanese, Italian, French, German, Dutch, Russian, Chinese, Portuguese, Hindi, Indonesian, Greek and Thai. Everyone uses the one they prefer.
More questions
When should we draw the names?
Two to three weeks before gift day is the sweet spot: enough time to read the hints and shop without rushing, but not so much that anyone forgets. For a group that's far apart, add a few days for shipping.
Can I run a Secret Santa if we're in different cities?
Absolutely. Share the invitation link by message or email and have everyone mail their gift so it arrives before gift day. Cuchumbo works the same whether the group is in one room or on three continents.
What if someone can't make it on gift day?
They still get a gift. From their page, everyone can mark their gift as delivered. If someone can't be there in person, handing it over later works just as well. The surprise doesn't need a calendar to land.
What if I don't have everyone's email address?
You don't have to collect them. Everyone types in their own email when they join through the invitation link. The link works in any chat (WhatsApp, Telegram, SMS), and that step is theirs.
Can I edit my Cuchumbo after creating it?
Yes. From your organizer page, the Edit button lets you change the name, gift day, the budget or the theme at any time. Invitations you've already sent stay valid.
Create yours
Set up in a minute. Free, no account for your people, and a draw that stays sealed, even from you.
No account to take part · Free · Deletes itself about 6 months after gift day
Popular gift ideas
Gift ideas picked to match the season. As an Amazon Associate, Cuchumbo earns from qualifying purchases. Links open Amazon in a new tab.
