How to write a personalized letter from Santa

I was six years old. Christmas morning had arrived and I awoke to the magical transformation of our living room into a child’s fantasy. Santa Claus had returned with more toys and gifts than a family should have.

It was beautiful. Even at a young age, when selfishness can overwhelm the moment, I was breathless.

The night before we had stayed up much later than we were comfortable with finishing a batch of Christmas cookies, four of which would be left out for Santa Claus to enjoy with a creamy glass of eggnog. Naturally, we left carrots and celery for the reindeer. Hopefully they weren’t all hungry because we only left a small amount.

I quickly ran to the small round table set up by the tree where we had left the late-night snacks arranged in perfect formation on the snowman plate for our welcome guest, and there it was: a PERSONAL letter from Santa Claus thanking us for the cookies and punch. egg, commenting that the nutmeg was a nice touch. Any kid would have been excited, but…

The letter was written on the stationery my mom used to write letters to Grandma, and the handwriting was unmistakably my mom’s. Why would my mom write a letter, signing Santa’s name if… Wait a minute. she wouldn’t. I didn’t want to believe what my little mind believed, so I went to the gift tags on each of the packages. To Beth From Santa. And here is another. To Beth From… Mom? Same exact letter. He was a smart bastard and she knew what he knew.

It was a farce. I felt a kick in my stomach every time I opened a gift marked with Santa. I knew she should run and thank my mom, but how could I let her know that she knew? How not to tell my brothers?

Obviously, some more thought needs to be given to Santa’s personal letters. My mom meant well, but she just didn’t realize what an analytical mind her quiet little girl had. As you can guess, I have a bit of a passion for making sure the same mistake is never made with letters from Santa Claus to my own young children. Here are some things you really should consider:

* STATIONARY

Go to a print shop, like Kinkos, and buy a sheet of holiday-themed paper and a matching envelope for each child to receive their letters from Santa Claus.

* HANDWRITING

It wouldn’t be too strange for Santa to print his letters on a computer printer. If you prefer handwritten letters, find a close friend or not-so-close family member to handwrite your Santa letters for you. Note that these letters can be saved and compared to next year’s letter, so have the same person write them next year for consistency. If you choose to generate your letter via computer, use a fun, bold “Santa” font with ink. Make sure your handwriting doesn’t show up in Santa’s signature.

* MESSAGE

The message should be personal, but not too creepy with specific details. It’s a good idea to take this time to point out some good things your child did during the year. For example: “I heard you played with a lonely kid in a wheelchair while all your friends climbed on the monkey bars. That was very nice and mature of you.” Or “Your mom wrote me and said you did a great job keeping your room clean. That was a very special gift you gave your family.”

Letters from Santa are never a time to point out anything bad your child has done. That could cause a lasting complex and serve only as a vicious attack on your child’s self-esteem.

* POSTMARK

A letter from Santa Claus sent with a postmark from your city and state may arouse a bit of unnecessary suspicion in crafty little minds. There are approximately 100 places in the United States with holiday-related names, many of which offer special postmarks just for the Christmas season. The most popular city is North Pole, Alaska. To take advantage of this free service, simply place all your stamped and addressed letters in a larger envelope with ATTN: POSTMASTER – CHRISTMAS POSTMARK FORWARDING and then the appropriate post office address. The North Pole, Alaska address is 5400 Mail Trail, Fairbanks, AK 99709-9999. Other cities can be found at christmaslettertips.com/christmas_postmarks.htm. You must mail all letters by December 15 to ensure delivery before Christmas.

I urge you, whatever course you take, consistency is the key to keeping the magic alive with Santa Claus traditions. MERRY CHRISTMAS!