Mail to Santa Claus: Children wish for peace
Many children are already writing to St. Nicholas wishing for "peace in the world". This was reported to the German Press Agency by Sabine Gerecke, head of the children's letter campaign at the St. Nicholas post office in St. Nicholas in Saarland.
The children would not name a country in which there is war, but would express their wish for peace and for the end of war in general. Gerecke said that children and young people in many countries are obviously preoccupied with this topic. But the children are also hoping for presents: many wanted classic toys or electronic devices such as cell phones.
Around 3000 letters received
Just under a month before the opening of the Santa Claus post office, around 3,000 letters have already arrived. "At the moment, most of the mail is still coming from abroad," said the head of the children's letter campaign. The main countries of origin are China and Taiwan, but there are also a number of letters from Russia and Ukraine. But the first German letters are also already arriving - and the number is gradually increasing. "A total of around 100 letters arrive every day," said Gerecke.
All the children receive a reply from Santa Claus. There are also letters in Ukrainian, Hungarian, Russian, Spanish, English and Chinese, among others. The reply letters will be sent out from December 3. St. Nicholas Day is December 6.
During Advent and Christmas 2022, the 40 or so volunteers responded to 31,636 letters from children from a total of 52 countries - more than ever before. For more than 50 years, children have been writing to St. Nicholas in the small village in the municipality of Großrosseln near the French border. The partnership between the festive committee and Deutsche Post has existed since 1967.
According to Deutsche Post, the St. Nicholas post office in Warndt is the oldest St. Nicholas post office in Germany. There are seven Christmas post offices throughout Germany where children can send their letters to Santa Claus, the Christ Child or St. Nicholas.
The custom of writing to St. Nicholas extends beyond Germany, with numerous colorful letters arriving from countries like China, Taiwan, Russia, and Ukraine, filled with wishes for peace and presents. Despite the global multiplicity, the local children have also started sending their letters, with around 100 letters arriving daily.
Source: www.dpa.com
