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USPS News: Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
December 7, 2001
Release No. 01-105
CHILDREN TO SEND "WHOLE, WHOLE, WHOLE" LOTTA LETTERS TO SANTA
Postal Service Offers Mailing Tips to Get Letters to the North Pole
Postal Service Offers Mailing Tips to Get Letters to the North Pole
(Washington, D.C.) - Santa Claus has a lot in common with the United States Postal Service. Neither rain nor snow nor gloom of night keeps Santa from his appointed rounds at the homes of millions of children the world over. Of course, Santa's been doing it a bit longer than we have. But since 1775, he's relied almost exclusively on the Postal Service to bring him letters from girls and boys all across America.
This holiday season will be no different. The Postal Service is gearing up for a huge mail delivery to the North Pole to help Santa and his elves get ready for the big day.
Getting Mail to Santa - Quickly and Safely
Santa's asked us to share these easy tips with children and families to help their letters get to him as quickly and safely as possible:
- Children should ask their parents for help addressing and putting stamps on their letters. This can avoid misspellings, which can slow down letters, or using too much or too little postage.
- Like all mail, it's important that letters to Santa include a complete return address.
- Santa enjoys candy canes and cookies and his reindeer enjoy fresh hay. But because these treats can be damaged or crushed when sent in a regular envelope, Santa says it's better to leave them out on Christmas Eve than to mail them.
- No extra packaging material, such as string or tape, is needed on a letter to Santa. The glue on the envelope flap is all that's needed.
- Letters to Santa - and other holiday mail - can be given be given right to your letter carrier at your door, rather than placing it in a collection box or making a special trip to the post office. And, as always, families with curbside mailboxes can put their mail in their mailbox for pickup.
Helping Santa Help Those in Need
While Santa himself receives most of the letters addressed to him, some are sent to certified organizations and individuals who help those in need. This tradition began in 1912, when Postmaster General Frank H. Hitchcock authorized postmasters to share letters to Santa with local charities and others.
Many Santa letters will be answered by a variety of Santa's helpers - charitable organizations, employees of local post offices, and volunteers who simply want to help a child's holiday wishes come true.
Letters to Santa Claus are handled by local post offices, so policies may vary from city to city. Your local post office can tell you how your child's letter to Santa will be handled.
An American Tradition . . . for More Than Two Centuries
That's the United States Postal Service. It's provided the people of America with trusted, secure and universal mail service since 1775. Delivering more than 207 billion pieces of mail each year to 135 million homes and businesses, the men and women of the United States Postal Service handle 46 percent of the world's mail volume. We deliver for you - and for Santa.
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