Cadbury is giving away 120,000 bars of chocolate for free

Cadbury is getting into the Christmas spirit early this year by giving away a whopping 120,000 chocolate bars, and you won't have to spend a penny to get involved.

The chocolate giant has officially brought back its popular Secret Santa Postal Service, giving people across the UK the chance to surprise someone special with a free Dairy Milk bar.

It's not just the chocolate that's free, as Cadbury is covering the postage too.

The festive giveaway launched on 2 November and will run until 20 December, meaning there's plenty of time to spread a little Christmas cheer.

However, with thousands of chocolate lovers expected to take part, you'll want to be quick if you're hoping to secure one.

The campaign is now in its ninth year and has become something of a Christmas tradition, allowing people to anonymously send chocolate to friends, family members or anyone who deserves a little treat.

How can you get a free Cadbury chocolate bar?

Getting involved is fairly straightforward, although you will need to keep your eyes peeled when you're out and about.

Cadbury has placed special Secret Santa posters in locations across the UK, including high streets, shopping centres, bus stops and train stations.

Each poster features a QR code that can be scanned using a smartphone, taking you to the Cadbury Secret Santa website.

From there, you'll find out whether any free chocolate bars are available to send.

If you're lucky enough to secure one, you'll be asked to enter your details and the postal address of the person you'd like to surprise.

You can then choose their favourite chocolate bar from the available selection, and Cadbury will take care of the rest.

The recipient won't be told who sent their gift, so you can keep your identity a secret.

There's a decent selection to choose from too, including classic Dairy Milk, Dairy Milk Caramel, Oreo Sandwich, Fruit & Nut, Winter Wonderland, Mini Snowballs and Bournville.

The bars range from 95g to 120g, depending on which variety you pick.

Is there a catch?

As with most giveaways, there are a few rules worth knowing before you start hunting for posters.

Each participant can send just one free chocolate bar, while a maximum of three free bars can be delivered to the same household.

You'll also need to be aged 18 or over and have a UK mobile number to verify your claim.

Cadbury is releasing the chocolate throughout the promotional period rather than making all 120,000 bars available at once.

That means you might find the daily allocation has already been snapped up when you scan a poster.

But don't worry if you miss out on your first attempt.

You can try scanning a poster again when more bars become available, or enter Cadbury's daily prize draw for another chance to send a free treat.

Successful orders are expected to arrive within one to two weeks.

Cadbury is spreading Christmas cheer

The giveaway is part of Cadbury's wider festive celebrations, with the brand once again encouraging people to think about others during the Christmas period.

It's also working alongside anti-poverty charity Trussell, which supports a network of food banks across the UK.

Meanwhile, Cadbury's Christmas chocolate range is already making its way into shops, with seasonal favourites and festive treats returning to shelves.

But for anyone hoping to save a little money on Christmas gifts, the Secret Santa giveaway could be particularly welcome.

After all, with the cost of Christmas adding up quickly, a free bar of chocolate delivered straight to someone's door isn't a bad way to make their day.

Just remember, you'll need to find one of those purple posters before 20 December to be in with a chance.