Santa opens the gates of heaven: Hundreds of thousands of wishes
Just under six weeks before Christmas Eve, Santa Claus has reopened his wish list branch in Himmelpfort, Brandenburg. The Holy Man with the beard arrived on Tuesday in an environmentally friendly yellow electric van from Deutsche Post. He didn't have to drive the van himself, but was dropped off in front of the branch by a chauffeur and enthusiastically welcomed by first and second graders from Bredereiche elementary school.
Primary school pupil Merle personally handed Santa Claus her extensive wish list. Among other things, she wished for a DVD and "Union Berlin clothing". Her classmate Emma had cut out her wish doll from a catalog, including the price, and stuck it on her wish list. Other primary school pupils wished for cuddly toys, a practical sweater for the cold season or a doctor's case.
One girl named "peace" as her top wish - and then a jigsaw puzzle. And little Heinrich had very special requests: "I want Lego bricks and a magic wand - I'll turn my brother into a toad," he said with a laugh.
According to Deutsche Post, around 10,000 wish lists from children in Germany and abroad have already arrived at the Himmelpfort Christmas post office. In terms of the number of letters received, the branch is the largest of its kind in Germany. According to the figures, around 310,000 letters were received from children in 60 countries last year. Of these, around 16,000 came from abroad - including more than 9,000 wish lists from China.
Many children's letters to Santa are decorated with small works of art - such as lovingly decorated Christmas trees, paper reindeer or pictures of Santa Claus. "The Christmas letter campaign documents the special value of a self-designed letter in times of digitalization and is a real affair of the heart for all postal employees and the people in the region," said the branch manager of Deutsche Post in Hennigsdorf, Norbert Will.
The reply letters from Santa Claus and his 20 Christmas angels will be sent all over the world via the Hennigsdorf mail center with a special postmark. The children's letters are processed in the Christmas post office in a four-day week from Thursday to Sunday from 11 am to 5 pm. This year, the wish lists should arrive by the 2nd Advent (December 10) so that the reply can be sent by Christmas Eve.
The Christmas post office will be celebrating its 40th anniversary next year. Two children from Berlin and Saxony sent letters to Santa Claus in Himmelpfort in 1984. The postal worker was unable to deliver these letters in Himmelpfort, but did not want to return them with the note "Recipient unknown".
So she answered the children's letters herself - and word must have gotten around, according to Deutsche Post. Until 1989, the employees at the branch had to answer around 75 children's letters every fall. And after reunification, the flood of letters swelled immensely. In 1995, Deutsche Post hired two Christmas helpers for the first time to answer the mountains of letters - now there are already 20 "Christmas angels" assisting Santa Claus.
The Christmas post office in Himmelpfort meticulously sorts and processes the colorful wish lists, ensuring each one is given a fixed response by the approaching Christmas Eve. Despite being the largest branch in Germany, Santa Claus and his helpers still appreciate the traditional, handcrafted letters, often adorned with small artworks like Christmas trees and reindeer, that children send from all around the world.
Source: www.dpa.com
