People Overjoyed to Find Wrapped Gifts Around Village from Mystery 'Secret Santa'
Random acts of kindness help spread Christmas cheer, and one particular Secret Santa (or group of Secret Santas) has been charming the village of Kegworth in Leicestershire, England.
So far, the parcels have been found scattered about, wrapped in festive paper and bearing a note that explains the finder is the keeper.
“Random act of Kindness, enjoy,” read one, followed by “Love Kegworths Secret Santa, TAKE ME.”
“Residents in Kegworth have been finding wrapped Christmas presents dotted around the village as an act of kindness left by a mystery ‘Secret Santa,'” Kathleen Thorpe posted in the Long Eaton Community Facebook group.
“Whoever the Secret Santa is has been leaving them in easy to spot places, like on top of walls or on benches & are usually chocolates … It is not known whether it’s the work of one person or a group of people spreading some Christmas cheer.”
As people find the thoughtful gifts, many have been posting photos and a short description and thank-you on Facebook.
“Thank you Kegworth Secret Santa,” Josh Connor shared with Kegworth Village Hall, posting a photo of the present he’d found.
“I haven’t been well recently and this definitely boosted my day, kindness costs nothing but makes a huge difference. Have a great day everyone.”
He also told ITV that he thought the acts of kindness were “a nice thing to do.”
“Someone has put a lot of time and effort into this and with all the conflict regarding natural disasters and politics around the world it’s something lighthearted and wholesome,” he added.
“At first I thought someone had dropped a gift and then I read the tag and it was a random act of kindness for someone to find,” Ellie Fox, another recipient, told ITV. “I went back to work and told all my colleagues about it and everyone agreed it was a lovely thing for someone to do, warmed our hearts.”
“It was the best surprise to find on our walk and we’d never seen anything like it in the village,” Katharine Deadman, yet another finder, told the BBC. “Even if I’d not liked the gift, the whole idea still would have made my day. It’s so thoughtful and selfless, two things that are not easy to come by.”
While several people have found these lovely little surprises, others have taken the opportunity to inject a little humor into the situation as well.
“Some dog owners in our community do a similar thing,” one resident commented on a post. “Ive found some lovely parcels wrapped in bags put under bushes, hung on fence posts etc it’s a beautiful thing.”
Of course, those parcels aren’t nearly as appreciated and should probably find their way to the nearest waste bin, but plenty of people commenting on the actual presents said that if they unwrapped one of the Secret Santa’s gifts to find something edible, they probably wouldn’t trust the unknown giver or gift.
However, most people seem to enjoy the “hunt.” That’s especially true of one young man whose mother posted to publicly thank the Secret Santa, whoever they may be — not just for the gift her son enjoyed, but for the lesson he learned through the whole thing.
“Found by the Nana and passed on to the wee man,” Emma Aldous wrote on the Kegworth Village page. “Thank you Secret Santa, your kindness is much appreciated.”
“He was so happy and excited,” she told BBC. “I have no idea who is leaving the gifts out, but just one tiny act of kindness made such a big difference to our day.”
“My son now wants to wrap up one of his toys and leave it out for someone else to find. How lovely is that?”
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