Post Office Santa Mail: A Guide to Making Holiday Wishes Come True

The magic of Post Office Santa Mail is a beloved holiday tradition for many families. This special program allows kids to write letters to Santa Claus and receive a response from the North Pole.

Each year, millions of children send letters to the Post Office's Santa Mail program, which is handled by the United States Postal Service (USPS). The letters are then sorted and sent to the North Pole, where they are answered by volunteers who dress up as Santa's elves.

The process of sending a letter to Santa Mail is surprisingly efficient, with letters typically being answered within 1-2 weeks of receipt. This is made possible by the hard work of the USPS and its volunteers, who work tirelessly to make the holiday season special for children everywhere.

To participate in Operation Santa, anyone in the U.S. can be part of the program, either by writing a letter to Santa or by becoming one of Santa's helpers.

You can write to Santa by addressing and mailing your letter to: Santa, 123 Elf Road, North Pole, 88888. Include your return address so Santa's helpers know where to send the gifts.

Being specific with details about the items on your wish list makes it easier for letter adopters to know what kind of gift to buy. You can find detailed information about what to include in the letter on the USPS Operation Santa website.

Letters should include the writer's first and last name and have a complete return address to increase the likelihood of a response. The USPS recommends envelopes include the sender's full name and return address in the upper left corner and bear first-class postage, such as a USPS forever stamp.

Letters are accepted starting in September each year, so mark your calendars to get your letters in on time.

The USPS has been running a unique holiday program for over 100 years, called Operation Santa, which receives thousands of letters to Santa from children every year.

Letters to Santa are carefully reviewed, scanned, and posted on the USPS website, with personal information removed.

The program was authorized by Postmaster Frank Hitchcock in 1912, allowing local postmasters to allow employees and citizens to respond to letters addressed to Santa Claus.

In 2022, over 25,000 letters were adopted, and over 18,000 packages were sent to children in need.

Illinois residents recorded the third-most adoptions with 1,346, while California and Texas had more.

Letters must be addressed to Santa's official USPS address – SANTA CLAUS, 123 ELF ROAD, NORTH POLE, 88888.

Letters received without last names and correct return addresses cannot be uploaded.

The goal of Operation Santa is to help more children and families in need have a happy holiday when they otherwise may not.

The program has been fully digital online since 2020 and is available nationwide.

Letters to Santa this year need to be postmarked by December 11, and the website will open for adoption on November 20.

Packages can be shipped from all 19,000-plus post offices around the country.