URGENT UPDATE: The United States Postal Service (USPS) has announced that families can participate in the beloved Operation Santa program, which is officially open for the 2023 holiday season. With a chilly weekend ahead, USPS encourages parents to get their children involved in writing letters to Santa—an ideal indoor activity to spark holiday cheer.
Parents are reminded that the deadline to send letters to Santa is Monday, December 1. This is crucial for ensuring a magical reply postmarked from the North Pole. Here’s how you can get started:
1. Equip your child with two writing tools and two envelopes—one to hold the letter and the other to return the response.
2. Have your child address their letter to Santa Claus at the North Pole.
3. Without them noticing, craft a personalized response from Santa—feel free to disguise your handwriting!
4. Place both letters in an envelope addressed to your child, including a return address of Santa, North Pole.
5. Affix a First Class stamp ($0.78) to the envelope.
6. Send it off in a larger envelope with proper postage to: North Pole Postmark, Postmaster, 4141 Postmark Dr., Anchorage, AK 99530-9998.
To ensure a heartfelt response, USPS recommends mailing the letters by December 1, with tips to personalize Santa’s reply by referencing your child’s activities in 2023.
In addition to letter writing, families are invited to participate in Operation Santa, a philanthropic initiative designed to make the holidays brighter for families in need. The program encourages individuals, families, and community groups to adopt letters to Santa. This year, USPS is emphasizing the importance of adopting family letters together, ensuring that all members of a household are covered.
To get involved, visit USPSOperationSanta.com where users can:
1. Create a login and verify their identity.
2. Browse letters from across the country.
3. Adopt family letters and shop for gifts either through USPS’s Santa’s Gift Shoppe or independently.
4. Ship gifts from the online catalog or their local Post Office.
For families or workplaces looking to adopt letters together, one person can lead the team by inviting friends, family, or colleagues to fulfill the letters. The team leader can check for unclaimed letters and ensure that every family letter is adopted.
This year, USPS has partnered with Toys “R” Us to expand the offerings in Santa’s Gift Shoppe, which now features a wider array of gifts. Adopters can enjoy free shipping on orders over $49, simplifying the process of sending joy to children in need.
IMPORTANT: Gifts should be shipped by Saturday, December 13 to ensure they arrive in time for the holidays.
Sheila Holman, USPS’s Vice President of Marketing, emphasized the growing need, stating, “Each year, we receive far more letters than those adopting.” With participation rates soaring, now is the time to engage in this cherished holiday tradition and make a difference in the lives of others.
As the holiday season approaches, get your family involved in these heartwarming initiatives. Share this news to inspire friends and loved ones to join the festive spirit!
