Amigo secreto works like this: everyone's names are written down and drawn, and each person buys a gift for the one they drew without telling anyone until gift day.
It's the same game English speakers call Secret Santa. What changes from country to country is the name and the dates.
What it's called in each country
Honduras and El Salvador: cuchumbo
In Honduras the exchange is called cuchumbo, a meaning recorded in the Diccionario de americanismos. The word is used in El Salvador too, alongside amigo secreto. A cuchumbo is also a dice cup, which is where this app gets its name.
Mexico and Central America: intercambio and amigo secreto
In Mexico people mostly just say “el intercambio”, though amigo secreto is heard too. Guatemala, Nicaragua and Costa Rica say amigo secreto. It's played at posadas, at office year-end parties and at Christmas Eve dinner.
The United States: in two languages
In Latino families in the US both names coexist: older relatives say amigo secreto or amigo invisible and younger ones say Secret Santa. It's the same game, and Cuchumbo lets each participant see it in their own language.
How it differs from Secret Santa
The game is the same, but in Latin America the exchange is usually part of a bigger gathering, like a posada, a novena or a year-end dinner, rather than a separate event.
And many countries add a stage of anonymous small treats beforehand, like the endulzadas in Colombia.
Run your amigo secreto in a minute
Cuchumbo runs the draw in fourteen languages, free and with no account. Create the exchange, share the link, and each person sees only who they drew; the organizer doesn't see the list either.
