Each year as Christmas approaches, children all over the world sit down to pen a letter to Santa. Some tell Santa how good they have been and how much they are looking forward to his visit. Others wish Santa well and remind him what they want for Christmas. When finished, the children slip their letter into an envelope, seal it, address it to the North Pole and slide it into the mailbox. Surprisingly, many receive an answer to their letter, thanks to postal workers and other volunteers around the world.

Writing a letter to Santa has long been a tradition. Children in Great Britain used to burn their letters in the hopes the wind would transport them to the North Pole. Today, that is no longer the case. Children look to their post office to help them get their letters to Santa. According to estimates, post offices around the world receive approximately a hundred Santa letters a day during the summer and many times that during the holiday season. In tough economic times, post offices receive more than double the usual amount of letters.

While postal workers could let the letters sit, that is not an option for many. In 1912, U.S. Post Service Postmaster General Frank Hitchcock began permitting postal workers in New York City to respond to the letters. This was the start of what would become known as Operation Santa Claus, a program that operates in many post offices around the country. Hundreds of postal workers and volunteers take time out to answer letters. At the Alaskan North Pole, for example, over a million letters have been sent out.

Other nations have their own version of Operation Santa Claus, including Canada, Finland, France and Germany. France has one of the largest programs, hiring over 50 people just to answer letters to Pere Noel. For those who don’t live in an area with such a program but have Internet access, several websites are available that accept and respond to letters to Santa by e-mail.

Parties interested in volunteering to answer letters to Santa should check with their local post office first and see if such a program is available. Due to security reasons and mailing costs, post offices will no longer mail or fax letters to volunteers. Volunteers must pick them up in person. If there is no program, perhaps one could be started. What child wouldn’t appreciate a response from Santa?