The North Pole is looking for extra elves to deliver holiday cheer.
Each year, the North Pole is flooded with letters to Santa through USPS Operation Santa®.
Letters can now be sent to 123 Elf Road, North Pole, 88888. They should include a return address and an address where the presents should be sent. Anyone in the United States can write a letter to Santa, regardless of religion or denomination.
Holiday Joy as Easy as 1-2-3
The letters are sorted, read, and published on the USPS Operation Santa® website (with the personal details redacted) on November 18.
- Read."Elves" are invited to make someone else's holiday by purchasing an item from an adoptable letter.
- Shop. There are two ways to find the perfect gift — through Santa’s Gift Shoppe or on your own.
- Ship. Send your gift right away through Santa’s Gift Shoppe or from a participating Post Office™ location by December 16. Presents should be wrapped according to shipping guidelines. Please note: that adopters must pay for postage too.
- November 4: Registration Opens for Adopters: Create and verify your account to be ready for letter adoption
- November 18: Adoption Starts - Read the latest letters, find a favorite to fulfill, and try to send your gift as early as possible
- December 9: Last Call for Writers - Send your letters to Santa, following these helpful tips how-to’s
- December 16: Last Day to Ship
Adopters must create an account to read, sort, and choose their letter. Please note - Santa's helpers should not feel pressured to buy everything on the list - every bit helps!
The first elf recruitment started in 1912, Postmaster General Frank Hitchcock created Santa’s first mailroom and authorized local carriers to read and respond to the letters. In 1940, the program opened to the general public. In 2017, New York created the first online program.
Adopt a letter, and change lives today!
