For a child, one of the first magical sparks of Christmas is lit when they put pencil (or crayon) to paper. With a bowed head and little face screwed up in concentration, they meticulously write a heartfelt letter to Santa Claus, listing the gifts they hope to receive in return for being good all year.

This Christmas letter-writing tradition is considered an age-old one but in fact, it only came about in the second half of the 19th century. Before that, children would receive letters from Santa Claus instead, usually written by parents masquerading as the jolly bearded fellow, to counsel their children on their behaviour throughout the year.

When Christmas gift-giving gained popularity, the letter-writing tradition evolved from children receiving these report cards to writing wish lists.

And now, Australia Post is doing its part and delivering those hopeful letters to the North Pole.

Delivering your classroom’s letters to Santa Claus

Australia Post’s Santa Mail program is a fun and exciting way for primary school-aged children to write letters to Santa and receive a personalised response from him.

Australia Post is spreading the merry to schools across Australia through curriculum-aligned learning materials that encourage your students to step away from digital screens and return to the evergreen practice of handwriting.

Australia Post Chief Marketing Officer Amber Collins says, “In recent times, our Santa Mail program has become more than just a fun classroom activity - it’s also a way for children to connect after months of being apart from each other.

“As many of us have again dealt with difficult challenges this year, like lockdowns and border closures, it’s a comforting reminder that despite the tough times, Christmas is still a time for joy and celebration.”

The Santa Mail website features a lesson plan suitable for ages 5 – 12 as well as festive templates to inspire creativity so the letters from your classroom stand out on Santa’s desk. And once those letters are written, Australia Post will send your classroom a very special reply. 

To get your classroom’s letters read by Santa Claus before the end of term, group your whole class’ Santa letters together and send in one large envelope with the applicable postage to avoid any delays. Write your class name, school name and address on the envelope so Santa Claus can send an extra special response to the whole class.

Then post the letters by Thursday, 25 November 2021 to the following address:
School of Santa Mail
LOCKED BAG 12000 Dandenong, VIC 3175

Children with low vision can opt to receive an individual large text reply from Santa by sending their letters, including a valid return address in Australia, to:
Santa Mail (Large text)
NORTH POLE 9999

Building students’ literacy skills

Handwriting letters to Santa Claus is a great way to introduce children to writing with purpose, clarity and authenticity. Writing a letter requires spending time crafting thoughtful sentences, and getting children to think about what they want to say and how to say it helps them practice meaningful communication and build literacy skills.

These skills are especially important in the digital age when speed and word limits prompt us to take shortcuts around language.

The Santa Mail program also goes beyond the joy of letter writing to the thrill of receiving a response. It’s like being rewarded for a job well done.

As Collins says, “Children ask for everything their hearts desire when they write to Santa Claus, but the one gift they’d never expect in return is a genuine letter from him.”

“We all know firsthand how special a piece of mail addressed to us made us feel as a child. Now imagine the pure glee that your students will feel when they receive a personalised letter from someone they’ve known about and looked up to all their lives.”

To find out more about writing and posting letters to Santa, visit the Santa Mail website.

Disclaimer: Australia Post only collects personal information to fulfil the delivery and response of Santa Mail. Personal information will be shared with certain third parties contracted to assist in the administration of this service. Whilst maintained by us, all personal information is handled in accordance with the Australia Post Group Privacy Policy which outlines how to access and/or correct your personal information or make a privacy related complaint. For more information please visit auspost.com.au/privacy