Letters to Santa Becoming a Lost Tradition

When I read the news that the Letter to Santa program was being ended this year, my heart sank. One of the last simple, cost free, joys of life for a child is the chance to send a Letter to Santa at Christmas. The Letter to Santa program was started in 1954 and after operating for 55 years, it will become a part of history in 2009.

My childhood memories of Christmas always included my mother saying, "As long as you believe in Santa there will always be a present from Santa. No matter how old you get or where you live, Santa will get a gift to you. Don't ever stop believing in the goodness of Santa Claus."

Over my childhood years, I wrote many letters to Santa. My family always traveled away from home during the holidays and my letter would always include where I would be on Christmas Eve. I wanted to make sure Santa Claus knew exactly where I would be! I would write my wish list and most of the time it was more of a wish list of things I would like to see happen. I would ask Santa to bless my grandparents or keep my family safe while traveling. My letters to Santa were filled of innocence and they read like a letter to a friend. They were full of hope and care.

I would wait patiently for the response from Santa, checking the mail box every day until it arrived. My memories of sitting in my room reading my personal message from Santa Claus, to this day, are happy ones. The response letter would include my name and a little snippet of information that I had provided in my letter to Santa. I always knew it came from Santa because it was postmarked from the North Pole! Just knowing that 'Santa Claus' had taken the time to answer me is a memory that no one can take away.

I passed this tradition of believing and hope onto my children. I would help them write their letters and try to imbed the message that the Christmas season wasn't all about material things, encouraging them to ask Santa to bless others instead.

The Letter to Santa program solidified hope and believing in hope that so many of us were raised on. It was one of the last simple, free, and spirit lifting programs available to children around the world. The Letter to Santa program will continue via volunteers in various parts of the country, but that famous Santa letter postmarked from the North Pole will become distinct according to postalmag.com.

Sources:
Postalmag.com