This Christmas, there is a Santa Claus. And those letters to St. Nick do get read, with some lucky children even getting the gifts they asked for.
There is a multitude of ways to write a letter to Santa and to get a response. But the U.S. Postal Service’s Letters to Santa program, which turns 101 years old this year, is perhaps the most popular way to write to Santa and to get an answer back.
Participation by local post offices is voluntary, but the postal service says there are active Letters to Santa programs in most major metropolitan areas. The post office estimates that millions of letters to Santa are read. The program began in 1912, when then-Postmaster General Frank Hitchcock allowed local postmasters to let employees and volunteers respond to the many letters to Santa received by the post office.
“Today, cities around the country have robust Letters to Santa programs with participation by recognized charitable organizations, major corporations, local businesses and postal employees making a big difference in the lives of children during the holiday from coast to coast,” the post office said.
After you child writes their letter to Santa, make sure to address the missive to “Santa Claus, North Pole, Alaska.”
Each letter with this address stays in the area where it was mailed, and “elves” working in the post office will sort out the messages to identify children whose wishes “express serious need” as part of Operation Santa.
Once this is done, a volunteer adopts one of the children’s letters and buys a gift to send to the child. The child receives a package stamped from the North Pole and a Christmas wish is granted.
But Santa doesn’t just use snail mail. St. Nick also replies to emails through aletter4santa.com and northpole.com.
Santa also takes voicemail. His phone number is 1-951-262-3062. Have your kid dial this number to leave a voicemail for Santa. Long distance rates apply if you’re dialing outside the 951 area code.
Where To Write Letters To Santa: St. Nick's Address, Phone Number And Voicemail To Make Christmas Wishes Come True [PHOTO]
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