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Santa Claus Has His Own Postal Code in Canada

by Be Inspired Staff

The Canada Post has assigned the postal code H0H 0H0 to the North Pole. This unique designation simplifies the process of having children send their letters and wish lists to Santa Claus.

Each year, more than one million articles of mail are sent to Santa, each of which gets answered in the same language in which they were written. More than 30 languages are currently part of the program, including Braille.

For more than 40 years, Canadian postal elves have helped Santa sort through all the letters that come from everywhere in the world. The program opens on November 1st and ends on January 31st this holiday season.

Anyone wanting a reply before Christmas should send their letter to Santa no later than December 7th. Here is the official address to use:

Santa Claus
North Pole
H0H 0H0
Canada

What Are the Letter Guidelines to Follow?

If your family wants to participate in the Letters to Santa program, the Canadian Post Office wants you to ensure that the letter is addressed appropriately. For those living in Canada, you do not need a stamp on the envelope to ensure it gets delivered.

Please remember to include your return address in the correspondence. You can deliver the mail to your local post office or any Canada Post mailbox.

All letters from the same family should be mailed in the same envelope instead of separately to ensure an appropriate response.

Santa loves to read all the letters, and the postal service says that any questions or pictures are welcome with the letter.

Anyone needing help to get started on their letter can choose from this template for younger children or this option for older kids.

How the Letters to Santa Program Started

Canada Post workers initially took the letters to Santa they found in mailboxes and answered them independently. Wishing to create more consistency with the idea and open it up to others, the Santa Mail Program was officially established in 1982.

Most of the responses come from community members and postal workers who volunteer their time to write letters on behalf of Santa. The goal of this initiative is to spread joy, foster a sense of community, and create goodwill during the holiday season.

It has become a beloved tradition that anyone can participate in this year by mailing a letter to Canada. By not requiring any postage, any child can participate.

It takes over 260,000 volunteer hours each year for the volunteer elves to write back. [1]

Do Any Other Countries Have a Santa Mail Program?

Several other countries have similar programs where children can send letters to Santa Claus (or their local equivalent of the jolly figure) and receive responses. They add a touch of magic to the holiday season for kids around the world when a letter to the North Pole, Canada, is not the right decision for a family.

Here are a few examples of the other Santa Mail opportunities you can find that spread positivity and joy globally during the holiday season.

  • United States. The USPS runs Operation Santa, where children can write to Santa and get responses. This program also allows individuals to “adopt” letters and provide gifts to the children who wrote them. [2]
  • United Kingdom. The Royal Mail has a similar service where children can send their Christmas wish lists to Father Christmas and receive a reply. It has been happening for nearly the same amount of time as the Canadian endeavor. [3]
  • The Deutsche Post has several special addresses for children to send their letters to the Christkind, Santa, or Saint Nicholas. These letters receive responses that often come with cards or small gifts. [4]
  • Japan's ANA Cargo, postal service helps to deliver letters to Santa-san, with children writing their wishes and receiving a personal reply. [5]

These programs, varying slightly in their traditions and approaches, share the common goal of fostering the spirit of Christmas and the joy of the holiday season among children. They also encourage literacy and the art of letter writing, providing an educational aspect to the festive activity.

What Happens If a Letter Is Sent Where a Formal Program Isn’t Available?

Many postal services ensure that children receive a response from Santa, even if an actual program isn’t in place. There is often a dedicated team or a special department that exclusively handles this mail. In doing so, they ensure each letter receives care and respect.

Postal services are generally careful to ensure that children's privacy is protected. They typically advise parents to not include sensitive personal information in the letters.

After the holiday season, the letters are often recycled. Some postal services might keep a selection of letters for historical or sentimental reasons, but most are disposed of responsibly to protect privacy. In rare cases, particularly touching or unique letters might be archived for historical or sentimental reasons.

The Santa Mail program is a heartwarming example of a national postal service going beyond its traditional role to create a magical experience for children. Get your letters in the mail soon so that you can receive a response before Christmas!

References:

[1] https://www.canadapost-postescanada.ca/cpc/en/support/kb/company-policies/social-impact/write-a-letter-to-santa-claus

[2] https://www.uspsoperationsanta.com

[3] https://www.royalmail.com/christmas/letters-to-santa

[4] https://hitraveltales.com/german-town-answers-letters-to-santa/

[5] https://www.anacargo.jp/en/news/delivering_letters_to_santa_claus.html

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