The Washington Court House Post Office is delivering some of Santa's mail to the North Pole this year.
Kids are encouraged to bring their letters to Santa to the Fayette County Chamber of Commerce Holiday Parade on Sunday, Nov. 23 at 2 p.m.
Local postal service workers and Santa's helpers will be collecting the letters for delivery to the North Pole, and will distribute answers from Santa to kids.
"As long as there's a return address, we answer it with a general letter that looks like it came from Santa Claus," said Andria McCalla, role carrier associate and member of the Quality Work Life team at the Washington C.H. Post Office.
This is the first year the post office is collecting letters at the parade, said McCalla.
"This is something new we're trying this year to get the post office out in the community," she said.
Every year, the United States Postal Service receives millions of letters addressed to Santa Claus. This tradition began in 1912 when Postmaster General Frank Hitchcock authorized local post masters to allow individuals and institutions to use these letters for philanthropic purposes.
According to McCalla, the Washington C.H. Post Office received a "couple hundred" letters to Santa last year. Kids dropped them at a box set up in the post office, she said.
All letters to Santa must have a complete return address with a zip code and a first-class postage stamp. Although Santa loves cookies and candy canes and his reindeer like fresh hay, these treats should not be sent in an envelope or they may get crushed. Treats meant for Santa and his team of reindeer are best left under the tree on Christmas Eve.
McCalla said the reason post office is answering letters to Santa is to simply improve the quality of life for local residents.
"Right now, with the economy the way it is, our job is quality work life," she said. "We try to bring the post office and the community together. We're not just about making money, we care about the community. We try to do a lot of activities within the community."
For an "answer" from Santa from the real North Pole in Alaska, there are a few simple steps parents and families can follow. Parents, friends or family should write "Santa's response" to the child's letter.
In the letter, they should mention some of the child's requests, information and even accomplishments in the past year. Then they should place the letter in a stamped envelope addressed to the child, with North Pole, Alaska as the return address and place the envelope in a larger and properly stamped envelope, First-Class or Priority Mail and send to:
North Pole Christmas Cancellation, Postmaster, 5400 Mail Trail, Fairbanks, Alaska, 99709-9998.
These letters must arrive in Fairbanks, Alaska by Dec. 15. Parents should send letters priority after that date. Answers from Santa will be returned with a real North Pole postmark just in time for Christmas.
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