The word Wichteln comes from Wichtel, the small household spirit of German folklore. The classic draw runs like Secret Santa, but the popular office variants — Schrottwichteln, Schokowichteln, Räuberwichteln — each change the rules enough to be their own tradition. The variant a German office picks signals more about the office than about the season: a buttoned-up firm runs the classic draw, a creative agency picks the chaotic dice game, a school keeps it to chocolate. Each variant is a different bargain between order and mischief, and reading the room before picking is half the work.
Four variants, four rule sets
Klassisches Wichteln — the Secret Santa variant
A sealed draw assigns each participant a giftee in secret. Budgets are set, gifts are wrapped, the exchange happens at a shared event. This is the version closest to international office Secret Santa and the one Cuchumbo handles natively, complete with German-localised reminders, hints and the sealed-draw promise.
Schrottwichteln — the white elephant variant
Everyone brings something from home they no longer want — the "Schrott" in the name literally means junk. Gifts are drawn from a pile or traded through a dice game, exactly like the Yankee Swap played in North American offices. The joy is in the absurd — a half-used candle, a mystery novel read five times, a novelty mug.
Schokowichteln — the chocolate variant
Every gift is chocolate. The budget stays low, the variance stays low, and the whole exchange becomes a tasting. Common in schools and informal offices where a broader gift exchange feels heavy. The cap is usually 5 to 10 euros, and the focus is on quality of confectioner over quantity of bars.
Wichteln mit Würfeln — the dice variant
Participants bring wrapped gifts and sit in a circle. Dice are passed and certain rolls trigger moves — take a gift, swap with a neighbor, open yours. A game replaces the draw entirely. Chaotic, playful, best with a cohesive group, and the rules — like a Sinterklaas surprise — reward the group that already knows each other well enough to laugh together.
How to pick the right variant
For classical offices — klassisches Wichteln. For a casual year-end with a lot of old stuff lying around — Schrottwichteln. For a school or kids' group — Schokowichteln. For a group that likes games — Würfelwichteln. The rules set the tone; pick the variant that matches the room. And whichever one you pick, agree on the variant in writing before the draw — half of all Wichteln misfires come from one half of the team thinking it is classical and the other half having brought something from the bottom of a drawer.
Klassisches Wichteln, digital
Cuchumbo handles classical Wichteln with a sealed draw and localised German strings. Create an exchange, share the invite, shake the Cuchumbo.