The holiday season at work is often a time of joy, but according to one TikToker, a traditional secret Santa exchange took a turn for the worse.
As the festive season approaches, it’s common to embrace the holiday spirit in the office, though sometimes things don’t go as expected.
A TikTok user named @_abihtx shared her experience participating in a secret Santa exchange, an activity she might regret now.
For those unfamiliar, secret Santa involves drawing names within a group and buying a gift for the selected person, with the promise of secrecy until the day of the exchange.
The woman revealed her dissatisfaction with the gift she received, questioning if it was meant to be harmful.
She began her video with a bold statement: “I will never participate in another secret Santa.”
She elaborated: “Tell me why I got an anonymous email two weeks ago and it was like ‘Do you have any food allergies?’.
“I was like that is strange but yeah, the nut family, but especially pecan and walnuts, those will completely take me out.
“We exchanged gifts today and I came into the office, gift was sitting on the desk. It was kind of big and had me wondering what it was.
https://www.tiktok.com/@username/video/7447958545749773614
“Tell me why it was a f***ing pecan pie, a f***ing pie. I know I’m not tripping.
“It literally had a little note that said ‘homemade, just for you’.”
Abigail questioned if her secret Santa intended to harm her with the pie.
Many on social media were shocked, suggesting she report the incident to HR.
One commenter advised: “Don’t print the email, forward it to HR and your personal email. Let them investigate the IP address but def keep a copy for your records so you can investigate outside of the company.”
Another added: “This is the type of gesture to have explained with HR present.”
However, someone else suggested a less malicious explanation: “Sounds like maybe the email was not the gift giver, but rather somebody who heard what they were giving you and never got to tell the other person that it was a bad idea.”
Fortunately, not all secret Santa experiences end this way. A thank you to my friend Breezy for his thoughtful gift this year, as my own nut allergy didn’t have to contend with a dangerous pecan pie.