Give Your Child a Letter From Santa

Christmas is a magical time of year, especially for children. You can make Christmas even more

magical by giving your child a letter from Santa!

The Letters From Santa program by the USPS allows your children to get a personalized response from Santa, including a postmark from the North Pole. You don’t want to wait too long to make this magical holiday memory though, because the deadline is coming up. All letters must be received by December 15^th, so you want to get those letters out ideally by the end of this week.

So, how does it work exactly?

First, have your child write their letter to Santa. You’ll want to have them address their letter to “Santa Claus, North Pole.”

Next, open the letter when you are alone and read the letter. Now is when the response comes in. Write a personal response to your child’s letter. This response should directly respond to the content of your child’s letter. It’s also a good idea to highlight some of your child’s accomplishments in the letter, such as good grades or how they help around the house. If you’re worried they will recognize your handwriting, ask another family member or a friend to re-write the response for you.

Put this response letter in an envelope and address it to your child, with the return address reading “Santa Claus, North Pole”. Don’t forget to add a stamp, preferably a Christmas one.

Now you need to place this response letter into a larger envelope, along with the correct postage, and address it to:

North Pole Postmark
Postmaster
4141 Postmark Drive
Anchorage, AK 99530-9998.

Please remember that your child’s letter must arrive in Alaska by the 15^th to guarantee a response!

The look on your child’s face will be priceless when they see the envelope addressed to them from Santa. So what are you waiting for? Remind your child to write their letter to Santa so you can get working on that response for them!

When to Use Snail Mail

Even the USPS can admit that sometimes using emails and social media is simply faster. That doesn’t mean that technology should be used exclusively. There’s still certain times when using traditional snail mail is the way to go. Here’s a list of some of the best times to send your message through the mail and to someone’s mailbox, versus their inbox.

1.      When you want to contact an elected official, send them a letter. The amount of emails they get in a day is incredibly large, so a hand-written letter is more likely to draw interest than an email. Even President Obama is known for regularly reading letters from ordinary American citizens.

2.      Sending thank you notes through the mail is much more appropriate than sending an email. If you want to express your gratitude, take a bit of extra time and mail a letter or card. It really shows that you appreciate the person.

3.      Send loved ones physical cards during the holidays. It’s easy enough to write on someone’s wall for their Birthday or send a text during Christmas. However, it is unlikely that the person will remember you even acknowledged the holiday among the rest of their digital well-wishes. Sending a card in the mail will get their attention and show you thought of them.

4.      On the same token, send cards for more personal occasions. Examples include graduations, new babies, engagements, retirement, and more.

5.      Mail postcards while you’re on a trip and thinking of someone. Tagging them in pictures or sending them a text just isn’t the same as a classic postcard.

6.      Getting married? Send out wedding invitations the traditional way. There are many reasons for this, a big one being that if you email it, it’s likely to be missed!

7.      In love? Put pen to paper and write a love letter to your significant other. This is great for long distance relationships or even if you live in the same house or apartment. They’ll be surprised, pleased, and touched by your gesture.

8.      Most people know that after an interview, you should follow-up with a thank you note. These are often emailed, but try mailing one instead. It’s sure to make you stand out!

9.      If you work in the business/marketing world, using direct mail can actually have a larger impact than emails. People receive more spam emails in a day than spam mail, and with the right design work your direct mail could really stand out.

10.   Above all, send letters to people. It’s much more personal, and it will be an item they can treasure for many years.

You’ll note that there is something in common with everything on this list. If you want to stand out from the crowd, properly express yourself, and get noticed, sending snail mail is the perfect way to do it.