Christmas and Secret Santa
Best Funny Christmas Mugs for Secret Santa, Stockings and Festive Gifts
A mug is the Christmas present that always fits the stocking, the Secret Santa limit and the colleague you barely know. Here is how to pick a funny Christmas mug that suits the person, which ones are family-friendly, which are properly cheeky, and what to put inside to make it feel like a proper gift.
In this guide
- Are Christmas mugs good Secret Santa gifts?
- Festive mugs that suit mixed company
- Cheeky Christmas mugs: for adults who like strong language
- Festive mugs and cosy winter mugs you can order today
- Winter mugs that are funny without being festive
- What can you put inside a Christmas mug as a present?
- Short tag messages to go with the mug
- Funny Christmas mugs: FAQs
Looking for a festive mug?
Funny Christmas mugs in 11oz and 15oz, designed in Antrim and printed to order in the UK.
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Christmas gifting has a mug-shaped hole in it. You need something small enough for a stocking, affordable enough for a Secret Santa limit and useful enough that it will not be re-gifted in January. A mug ticks all three, and a funny one adds the bit people actually remember.
The catch is that Christmas humour covers a lot of ground, from a cheerful pun your nan will read out loud to a slogan that would earn a colleague a quiet word from HR. This guide sorts the festive mugs by who they suit, flags the cheeky ones plainly, and covers the part most guides skip: what to put inside the mug so it looks like a proper present.
Quick answer
Yes, a funny Christmas mug is one of the safest Secret Santa and stocking gifts: it is small, useful and easy to wrap. Choose a gentle design such as HO HO HO or Naughty Never Nice I Tried for mixed company, keep sweary designs for friends who like them, and fill the mug with tea, hot chocolate sachets or small sweets.
Are Christmas mugs good Secret Santa gifts?
For most groups, yes. A mug is personal enough to show you made an effort, but nobody needs to know the recipient’s size, taste in music or whether they like scented candles. Everybody drinks something warm in December.
The risk is the joke, not the mug. Secret Santa works best when the whole group can look at the present without wincing, so lean towards festive wordplay and gentle cheek unless you know the person well. If your swap is at work, our guide to Secret Santa gifts for work colleagues covers budgets and office-safe rules in far more detail, so this article sticks to the mugs themselves.
| Who is it for? | A good festive mug | Better to avoid |
|---|---|---|
| A colleague you barely know | Gentle festive wordplay with a Santa hat | Swearing, innuendo and anything personal |
| A close friend with a dark sense of humour | A cheeky slogan they would never buy themselves | Anything that needs explaining |
| Parents, aunties and grandparents | A cheerful Ho Ho Ho or a cosy cuppa joke | Strong language, even abbreviated |
| The teenager in the family | A cheeky but harmless naughty-list joke | Adult slogans |
| Your partner | A matching pair or an in-joke you share | Jokes about their cooking or driving |
Festive mugs that suit mixed company
These are the designs to reach for when the audience is unknown or varied. Both come in 11oz and 15oz, in white glossy ceramic.
HO HO HO is the safe pick of the range. The Santa hat perched on the H does the festive work, and the small raised 3 is a neat bit of maths for anyone who spots it: Ho cubed. It is cheerful, needs no explaining and is fine in front of the vicar.
Naughty Never Nice I Tried
Naughty Never Nice I Tried suits anyone who has spent the year ignoring good advice. A winking cartoon elf peeks over the bottom of the mug, and the red and green wording says what everyone is thinking at the family quiz. It is cheeky rather than rude, which makes it a good all-rounder for Secret Santa, teenagers and the brother-in-law who always claims he is on the nice list.
If you are still working out the rest of the present list, our 25 funny Christmas gift ideas goes beyond mugs, and the Christmas mugs collection shows the full festive range in one place.
Cheeky Christmas mugs: for adults who like strong language
Two of the festive mugs are properly adult, and it is better to say so than to let them surprise anyone. Both are for friends, partners and the sort of Secret Santa group where everybody already swears at the quiz.
- Jolly AF uses the abbreviation AF, which stands for a swear word. Red and green lettering with speed lines, so it looks as keen as it sounds. Fine for friends, not for the office swap or the grandparents.
- Calm down tinsel tits is an innuendo mug with strong language printed on it, plus a festive bra for illustration. It is a laugh for the right friend and a mistake for almost everyone else.
The rule of thumb: if you would hesitate to read the slogan aloud at the Christmas dinner table, it belongs in a friends-only present. For more of that kind of gift, see our guide to funny gifts for people who love rude jokes.
Tip: choose the size by the stuffing. Each Christmas mug comes in 11oz and 15oz, so pick the 15oz if you plan to fill it with chocolate, tea bags or other small treats. The 11oz is fine for a plain gift with a tag.
Ready to order
Festive mugs and cosy winter mugs you can order today
The Christmas mugs plus a few cosy, not-quite-Christmas mugs that work all winter. Check each product page for the size you need.
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HO HO HO Christmas Mug – Ceramic Coffee Cups, 11oz, 15oz
£9.90Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Naughty Never Nice I Tried Christmas Mug – Ceramic Coffee Cups, 11oz, 15oz
£9.90Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Sip Happens Stay Calm. Funny Work Ceramic Coffee Cups, 11oz, 15oz
£9.90Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Stresses Blessed and Coffee Obsessed – Ceramic Coffee Cups, 11oz, 15oz
£9.90Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
You Can’t Be Everyone’s Cup Of Tea Or You Would Be A Mug – Ceramic Coffee Cups, 11oz, 15oz
£9.90Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Comfy clothes and murder shows – Ceramic Coffee Cups, 11oz, 15oz
£9.90Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
Life is about more coffee – Ceramic Coffee Cups, 11oz, 15oz
£9.90Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page -
More Espresso Less Depresso – Ceramic Coffee Cups, 11oz, 15oz
£9.90Select options This product has multiple variants. The options may be chosen on the product page
Got a funny idea of your own?
Every FunnyTshirt design is our own, dreamed up in Antrim. If you have a custom design idea, send it over and we usually reply within one working day.
Printed to order in the UK
Winter mugs that are funny without being festive
The Christmas range is small, and sometimes you want a present that still works on 2 January. A cosy winter mug does the job and lasts well beyond the holiday. The picks below use no strong language, though it is always worth reading each product page before you buy.
Comfy Clothes And Murder Shows
A pair of pyjamas, a handwritten-style line and a small bloodied knife underneath. Comfy Clothes And Murder Shows is a good present for anyone whose ideal December evening is a blanket, a hot drink and a true-crime series. It is gently dark rather than rude, so it suits friends and family who share the habit.
You Can’t Be Everyone’s Cup Of Tea is a pun for the tea drinker who takes the whole thing seriously, and Sip Happens. Stay Calm. is a calmer line for anyone heading into the Christmas rush. If the recipient lives on coffee instead, Stressed, Blessed and Coffee Obsessed is a happy choice, and our guide to funny gifts for coffee lovers has plenty more ideas for the rest of the stocking.
A matching pair for couples
For a first Christmas together, or a couple who like a joke at the breakfast table, Mr Mug and Mrs Mug are a pair of cartoon faces, one with a moustache and one with red lips, that sit side by side on the kitchen shelf. Wrap them together with a tub of hot chocolate and you have a gift that looks as if it took planning.
What can you put inside a Christmas mug as a present?
A mug on its own is a decent gift. A mug with something inside is a proper one, and it is the easiest way to turn a small spend into a present that looks planned. Pick two or three items from the list below rather than overloading it.
- Tea bags or loose tea for the tea drinker, tucked in a small tin or a paper bag.
- Hot chocolate sachets or a jar of drinking chocolate, ideally with a tiny bag of marshmallows on top.
- Instant coffee sachets or a handful of coffee pods for the person who has given up pretending to be a morning person.
- Wrapped sweets or a small bar of chocolate, the sort that usually ends up in a stocking toe.
- A pair of warm socks rolled up inside, if the budget allows.
- Shortbread, biscuits or a small packet of mince pies, wrapped in cellophane and tied with ribbon.
- Small desk gifts such as a pen, a notepad or a packet of mints for the colleague who needs them most.
Fill the gaps with tissue paper or shredded paper so nothing rattles, tie a ribbon round the handle and add a short note.
Before you buy
- Read the slogan twice, especially on anything with AF or abbreviations
- Decide who will see the mug: the whole office, the family or just one friend
- Choose 11oz for a plain gift and 15oz if you want to fill it
- Allow 3-5 days for printing and delivery, which is the normal time
- Pick one or two small treats rather than a full hamper
Make it feel like a present
- Add a short handwritten tag
- Wrap the mug in tissue paper rather than relying on a gift bag alone
- Match the treat to the drink the person actually has
- Keep the joke on the mug and the note kind
Short tag messages to go with the mug
A good tag turns a small present into a thoughtful one. These are free to copy, and all of them work whether the swap is anonymous or not.
- Merry Christmas. The mug is funny, the hot chocolate inside is serious.
- You were on the nice list. I checked, then I changed it.
- Small gift, big festive energy. Fill it up and put your feet up.
- Secret Santa says you deserve a hot drink and a sit down.
- This mug is on the nice list. I cannot vouch for the person holding it.
- Happy Christmas. Fill it up and tell nobody it was a stocking filler.
Keep an eye on the budget if you are buying for a group. Mugs usually sit well within a normal swap limit, so there is room for a second small present. If you want something printed with a design of your own, send your idea through the contact page.
Funny Christmas mugs: FAQs
Are Christmas mugs good Secret Santa gifts?
Yes. A mug suits almost everyone, fits most swap limits and wraps easily. Choose a gentle design such as HO HO HO for a group, and keep strong-language mugs for friends who will laugh rather than blush. Our work Secret Santa guide covers office rules.
What can you put inside a Christmas mug as a present?
Anything small and flat: tea bags, hot chocolate sachets, coffee sachets, wrapped sweets, biscuits or a pair of socks. A 15oz mug holds more than an 11oz, so choose it if you plan to fill it. Tuck tissue paper around the gifts and tie a ribbon round the handle.
Which funny Christmas mugs are family-friendly?
HO HO HO and Naughty Never Nice I Tried are the gentlest designs in the Christmas range. Read the slogan on every mug before buying, though, because Jolly AF and Calm down tinsel tits are adult humour. Always check the product page for the exact wording and picture.
Is it OK to give a rude Christmas mug to a colleague?
Usually not. A sweary mug sits on a desk in front of everyone, so keep it for close friends and use a gentler design at work. Our guide to funny mugs for work has options that suit most offices.
What sizes do the Christmas mugs come in?
Each Christmas mug comes in 11oz and 15oz, in white glossy ceramic. Choose the 15oz if you plan to fill it with treats, and the 11oz for a plain stocking present. Check the product page for details before you order.
Can I get a Christmas mug with my own joke on it?
You can send your idea through the contact page and we will tell you what is possible. Every design in the shop was dreamed up in Antrim and printed to order in the UK, so a custom idea is a natural next step.
Keep reading
More ideas from the FunnyTshirt blog.
Christmas & Secret SantaBest Secret Santa Gifts for Work Colleagues That Will Get a LaughPulled a colleague's name for Secret Santa? Funny, office-safe gift ideas by budget, personality and workplace, plus what…Read the guide
Christmas & Secret Santa25 Funny Christmas Gift Ideas for Friends, Family and Workmates25 funny Christmas gift ideas for partners, siblings, parents, friends and workmates, sorted by recipient and humour style,…Read the guide
Work & RetirementBest Funny Mugs for Work: Hilarious Gifts for ColleaguesThe best funny mugs for work, from sarcastic office slogans and coffee jokes to mugs for managers and…Read the guideReady to pick a festive mug?
Choose the joke that suits the person, fill the mug with something good and wrap it up. New customers get 5% off a first order with code GO5.
