When you were five and writing your most specific letter to Santa Claus so he knew exactly what you wanted, did you ever get an answer? The purpose of a letter is to communicate information back and forth between people, which means a response is almost always warranted. Telling the jolly ole Saint Nick what you would like to receive for Christmas is no exception to this rule, but how in the world does one get a response letter from a fictional character? Though the legend of Santa Claus is alive and real in the world, the actual character unfortunately is not. Therefore, where do all these letters addressed to Santa Claus in the North Pole go, how do children get a long-awaited response from the man with the bag, and why is it so important these responses are received? Well, there are many lovely people around the world making these children’s dreams come true each and every December sparking hope and joy in the youth of this world.
According to Children and Youth in History, “The form of “Dear Santa letters” typically include a testament of “nice” not “naughty” behavior, a wish-list of toys, courteous mention of Mrs. Claus and the elves, and concern for the reindeer (especially Rudolph)”. This was a simple formula to follow, especially with the classic paper letter, since children could easily erase, rewrite, and add any details in the body of their letter to ensure they would get what they wished for each holiday season. Not to mention, this concept has not died down at all over the years even with the possibility of emailing Santa or texting him via online applications and forums. “Surprisingly, the Internet Age has not put a damper on first-class mail received by the museum. “Our letter volume has increased over the years,” says Thompson from the Smithsonian Museum”. This was stated in an article on the writing of Saint Nicholas letters that are received by the museum. However, no matter if one chooses to contact the jolly fellow through tech or the good old-fashioned way, a response will likely come the child’s way with the help of today’s laws and programs for responses. These include profit companies such as The Santa Claus House and Santa’s “Official” Mail, as well as nonprofit organizations like the UPS postal service, Philanthropists, and of course parents.
As for the non-profit organizations that respond to Santa letters, not only are they the first form of response known, but they are also some of the most notable forms of responses in history. The UPS partners with 15 post offices around the world to make up Operation Santa. “Letters with postage and an address of the North Pole or Santa Claus are usually routed to one of 15 regional post offices that participate in Operation Santa. Volunteers who live in the vicinity of those 15 locations pick out a letter to answer and buy a gift for the child, which they bring to the post office. It is then delivered by the USPS” (UPS). This allowed both postal workers and other groups of people to respond to the letters, instead of them being sent to the Dead Letter Office and destroyed like they originally were. Postmen like General Meyer and Harris Eames were prominent players in making this all possible. Harris Eames simply opened a “Sandy Clous” letter from a girl he knew named Fanny and decided to not only respond to the letter but make her Christmas wish come true. As for General Meyer, he opened up the opportunity of writing back to Santa letters to organizations or individuals for “Philanthropic purposes”, which opens up the non-profit responding for philanthropists. “In the Dead Letter Office at Post Office Department headquarters, it is said that for several years in the mid-1890s the clerks let a “rich old man” take “20 or 30 of the many letters addressed to Santa Claus” and fulfill the children’s requests “as coming from their patron saint” (UPS). Thankfully, many people took this upon themselves, along with the USPS, and assisted in Operation Santa and grew the popularity of the operation for many years to come.
As much as we love spreading Holiday cheer in a free way, some people do choose to make a living out of spreading joy and the word of Santa Claus. These include, but are certainly not limited to, The Santa Clause House and Santa’s “Official” Mail. The Santa Claus House is located in the North Pole of Alaska and was built in 1952 by Con and Neille Miller as a place for people to write Santa letters and a prominent Christmas tourist attraction. According to The Santa Claus House, “These personalized letters are filled with more than good wishes from Saint Nick; they’re filled with the promise of Christmas, and all its secrets and magic. And, a Santa letter can set many a worried mind at ease, as each reader learns that he or she is, indeed, on Santa’s “good” list! It may sound insignificant to adult ears, but think back: To a child, knowing he or she has the approval of “the Big Guy” can do amazing things for self-esteem and confidence!” (Santa Claus House). The personalized response to letters and the consideration going into what the people for Santa Claus House believe the children want to hear is an excellent way to capitalize on Holiday cheer and the hope of youth. Though this was the most prominent profit letter response website, there are many others, such as Santa’s “Official” Mail. Very similar to The Santa Claus House, Santa’s “Official” Mail responds to Santa Letters with a personalized, appealing format. They typically include things such as, “the child’s name, hometown, and a friend’s name” (Santa’s “Official” Mail). Not to mention they receive other little surprises such as a nice list certificate and a sticker page. Both of these two profit responses have a strong focus on ensuring children feel the satisfaction and joy of knowing they will be receiving a visit from Santa this Christmas, as well as the fact their voices are heard and understood.
With all this stress on Santa letter writing one may be asking, “Why is it so important children get these responses anyway?”. This primarily has to do with children’s psychological well-being and the hope that many children possess when it comes to the reality of Christmas. All of this stems from the way adults communicate either the topic of Santa or Santa with their children. In a study done by C.R. Snyder from the University of Kansas on measuring hope in children, “children’s higher CHS scores also have correlated significantly with greater parental support. Furthermore, we have found empirical support for high hope being related to secure attachments, and greater satisfaction with interpersonal relationships.” This makes the connection and personalization of Santa letters so very important, as well as the idea of the communication being back and forth, not just one way. The parents of children working to ensure a response for their child, whether it be by paying for one or sending for one, shows an extra level of care to the child to continue their hopes of writing and hearing from Santa Claus. As well as the relationship build between two people, whether one is real or not which in this case they are not, gives children the hope to keep believing in the goodness and holiday magic that keeps Christmas alive.
All in all, though Santa letters are seen as a small tradition of a big season full of traditions, they are a large factor in the glue of what holds together the holiday season. The hope and joy that brings, children hoping for a response and parents working to bring it to life, together. Organizations such as Santa Claus House, Santa’s “Official” Mail, the UPS, the postal service, and philanthropic organizations are all at the forefront of building holiday magic through something as simple as the writing of a letter.
Works Cited
“Writing a Letter to Santa [Letter],” in Children and Youth in History, Item #339, https://cyh.rrchnm.org/items/show/339 (accessed August 10, 2021).
Magazine, Smithsonian. “What Happens to All Those Letters Sent to Santa?” Smithsonian.Com, Smithsonian Institution, 14 Dec. 2017, www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/what-happens-all-those-letters-sent-santa-180967542/.
“Personalized Letters from Santa.” Personalized Letters From Santa, www.santasofficialmail.com/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=SG+%7C+Search&utm_term=Letters+From+Santa&utm_content=678560894062&gclid=Cj0KCQiA6vaqBhCbARIsACF9M6kiHVtvk8leqs69ahIcmZ6e8vGqBjMgNJ-zFXtdZEKWRsAaLQbAMJkaAjuzEALw_wcB. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.
“Santa Letters.” Santa Claus House, www.santaclaushouse.com/santaletters.asp. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.
“Santa Letters: Gateway to Kindness.” Santa Letters: Gateway to Kindness – Who We Are – About.Usps.Com, about.usps.com/who/profile/history/santa-letters.htm. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023. Snyder C.R., “5 Measuring Hope in Children.”, https://link.springer.com/content/pdf/10.1007/0-387-23823-9_5.pdf. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.
