Dec 7, 2009Where do the Santa letters go?
I hope I'm not breaking the big news to anyone here, but Santa Claus is not real... at least from what I've gathered over my fifteen years on Earth. It just dawned on me about two days ago (or whenever I wrote down this blog post idea), when I was watching a commercial about a little girl placing a letter to Santa into the post box, what happens to these letters?
Now, I have no clue how the United States postal system works, or for that matter, any other countries' postal system. I wonder if the post men collect all the letters in a large bin and send them somewhere. I'm pretty sure that there is some sort of system in place for this time of the year. But maybe they really do send them to the North Pole. 
Another thought that crossed my mind was that they were sent over to the soldiers in Iraq. I know that lots of things are sent over there to keep their spirits up... or so I'm told. I'm not positive on this, but it could be a destination for this destinationless letters.
OR there could be a little system between the mail person and the parents. The parents could ask the postal person to give the letters back to them so they know what "Santa" should get their child(ren). I don't know anyone who does this but that would be seriously awesome for the kids who lock themselves in their room with a piece of paper and a crayon, and being writing their hieroglyphics on said paper. You know, the kids who don't let their parents know what they want? Yeah, I was one of these kids.
That's what I think could happen to these Santa letters. This really isn't a blog post, more of like a little thought that never really crossed my mind, and thought it would be nice to actually figure it out. What do you think happens to these letters because they (hopefully) don't send them all to the North Pole where they are addressed, or to Santa's house, which ever the child wrote on the envelope?
Here they're sent to the post office, where people take the kids' names and write them into a form letter. If you're lucky, they'll add a handwritten P.S. at the bottom that shows they've semi-read your letter.
Clem Dec. 7th, 2009
Yup, Clem's explained Canada's method. It's been like that for as long as I remember. But last year some of the letters back to the kids were... not very nice. And the postal vans I've seen don't have the big "WRITE TO SANTA AT NORTH POLE, H0H 0H0" ads on them anymore, so I don't know what's up with it.
Aisling Dec. 8th, 2009
That's an interesting thought. I'm not sure what happens to those letters in Singapore. I don't think kids here writes to Santa. Cultural differences maybe? Most of us doesn't really celebrate Christmas. I think the letters might just end up in the bin if they do address the letters to "Santa". I'm not sure though. But seriously, I think it must have feel awesome to get a reply from "Santa".
Dayna Dec. 8th, 2009
A quick Google search led me to this:
" So what happens to all these missives full of hope and wishes? Well, at least some of them have become part of a project called Arctic Phenomenon designed by the University of Lapland to study the letters written to Santa. Some are saved for posterity, like the letter written on birch bark by two Polish schoolboys that is now proudly displayed in the wall of the Santa Claus Main Post Office, located on the Arctic Circle in Lapland.
Many more letters, however, become part of a volunteer project at local post offices called Operation Santa Claus. This project started in the '20s in the New York Post Office. Touched by the numerous letters to Santa they received, postal clerks in the branch answered many of the letters, digging into their own pockets to send presents to the children who wrote.
Of course, most of the letters written to Santa are wish lists itemizing the gifts the writer would love to find under their tree on Christmas morning. There are exceptions, however. Many people write simply to wish Santa well. And some write for other reasons. One couple wrote wishing Santa would respond so they could tell their unborn baby that Santa really existed. Others discuss their hopes and fears. Some bring tears to the eye, like the one from a homeless 7-year-old who wanted nothing for himself, just diapers for his infant sister. "
However, I always thought that were just thrown away. It's pretty much the parents job to assure their kids that Santa gets their letters.
Anthony Dec. 8th, 2009
When I sent letters to Santa when I was younger my parents never actually mailed them out. They had held onto them just as they had with some of my baby teeth I gave to the tooth fairy.
I ended up stumbling across both of these items when I was about 14/15? My dad had a small office in the 2nd floor of our garage and I was bored and going through everything when I had found 'em.
Jordan Dec. 9th, 2009
i think most of them just go in the trash
pema Nov. 3rd, 2010