Posts expect to process an estimated eight million letters for him this year.
Once again, Santa Claus is relying on Posts worldwide to deal with the millions of letters he receives annually from children, young and old, at this time of the year.
According to a Universal Postal Union survey of its member countries, several of the world’s Posts expect to receive an estimated eight million letters addressed to the jolly old fellow this year, exceeding the estimated six million figure gathered in a similar survey in 2007.
Indeed, several Posts, such as those of Canada, France, Spain and Ireland, are reporting increases in the number of letters sent to Santa, père Noël or the Three Wise Men, from last year.
Santa Claus and Father Christmas are the most popular recipients of letters, but some are also addressed to the Three Wise Men, Ded Moroz and other popular holiday figures.
Worldwide, about 20 Posts said they received letters for the man with the white beard or another figure, and many have formal programmes to help answer these missives.
Mostly written by children and filled with fanciful wishes, these letters, often carrying the most simple address (Santa, North Pole), should normally be regarded in postal jargon as “undeliverable” and stamped “address unknown”. But in many countries, Posts pull out all the stops to make sure this mail is collected, forwarded and answered by Santa’s little helpers.
Santa has over five million postal elves around the world to answer his mail and deliver the millions of greeting cards, parcels and letters that circulate during the holiday season.
Because Santa is a universal superstar, he retains addresses in many parts of the world and the Universal Postal Union is grateful to Posts worldwide for teaching children about the importance of properly addressing letters to their favourite holiday figure at this time of the year.
Interesting facts
Countries whose national postal operators receive letters to Santa and other end-of-year holiday figures and the number of letters received in 2012: Austria (6,500), Australia (150,000), Brazil (964,315), Canada (1,350,000), Germany (300,000), Spain (300,000), United States (+1,000,000), Finland (550,000), France (1,700,000), Great Britain (+800,000), Greece (80,000), Hungary (3,000), Ireland (130,000), Italy (130,000), Lebanon (8,800), Norway (no figure available), Portugal (100,000), Sweden (30,000), Switzerland (17,000) and Russia (350,000).
Posts in Canada, France and the United States report receiving more than one million letters for Santa every year.
In Spain, children write to Los Reyes Magos (Three Wise Men). Correos places 174 special mailboxes at the main post offices throughout the country to collect these letters.
In Brazil, Correios’s “Papai Noel dos Correios” solidarity campaign has been going on for 24 years. The Post appeals to volunteers and sponsors so that a child may receive a gift requested in the letter addressed to Santa, especially requests for toys, school materials or clothing. More than 450,000 letters were “adopted” last year.
In Canada, Santa has his own postcode – H0H 0H0
Post offices in locations with names reminiscent of the holiday season receive considerable amounts of mail from stamp collectors and others who want a special postmark stamped on their holiday greetings. Such locations include, in the United States: Christmas (Florida), Bethlehem (Maryland), Hope, Nazareth (Michigan), Saint Joseph (Missouri), Snow Shoe (Pennsylvania). In Canada: Christmas Island (Nova Scotia). In Europe: Berne, Bethlehem (Switzerland), St. Nikolaus (Germany), Christkindl (Austria).