Every December, kids all over the country send their wish lists to the North Pole. And thanks to a long-running U.S. Postal Service tradition, families can make sure a personalized reply from Santa comes right back — postmarked from the North Pole, no less.
There are two easy USPS holiday programs that help this happen:
- Greetings from the North Pole Post Office — for a classic Santa reply that parents prepare
- USPS Operation Santa — for letters that may be adopted and answered by Santa’s helpers
Let’s walk through both.
Option 1: Get a “North Pole Postmark” letter back from Santa
This is the simplest way to guarantee your child receives a Santa letter. The charming twist: you write Santa’s response, and USPS mails it back with an official North Pole postmark.
What you’ll need
USPS recommends having:
- Your child’s letter to Santa
- A reply letter written by an adult
- Two different writing utensils (so the handwriting looks different)
- One stamped envelope (for the Santa reply to your child)
- One larger stamped envelope (to mail everything to USPS)
Step-by-Step: How to mail It
Follow the USPS “Greetings from the North Pole” steps:
- Your child writes a letter to Santa.
Encourage them to share a wish list, but also fun details — favorite hobbies, good deeds, a story from school, anything Santa could mention back. - An adult writes a personalized reply from Santa.
Sign it “From Santa.” Add specific details your child will recognize (a proud moment this year, something kind they did, a new sibling or pet, etc.). USPS suggests highlighting accomplishments to make it feel real and special. - Put both letters into a small envelope addressed to your child.
This is the envelope Santa’s letter will arrive in. - Add this return address on that small envelope:
SANTA
NORTH POLE
- Add a First-Class Mail stamp to the small, child-addressed envelope.
- Place the small envelope into a larger envelope and mail it to:
NORTH POLE POSTMARK
POSTMASTER
4141 POSTMARK DR
ANCHORAGE AK 99530-9998
When to send It
USPS recommends mailing letters between Nov. 23 and Dec. 1 so they can be processed and returned in time for Christmas.
Option 2: Write to Santa through USPS Operation Santa
Operation Santa is a different kind of magic: Kids and families send letters to Santa, and some are “adopted” by generous volunteers who respond and may send gifts on Santa’s behalf. It’s been running for more than a century and is officially open for the 2025 season.
How families send a letter
- Write a letter to Santa with a First-Class stamp and a clear return address.
Mail it to:
SANTA CLAUS
123 ELF ROAD
NORTH POLE 88888 - Letters must be postmarked by December 6, 2025.
You don’t need to sign up for anything to send a letter — only adopters create accounts.
A new 2025 highlight: “Adopt-a-Family”
This year, USPS is encouraging “family letters,” so entire households can write one letter together and be adopted as a group. That means siblings (and even parents) can share one wish list and possibly receive help together.
Tips to make the experience extra magical
Whether you’re doing the North Pole Postmark letter or Operation Santa, these small touches go a long way:
Make the letter personal
Kids light up when Santa mentions something only they would know. Use details like:
- their favorite book or toy
- a new skill they learned
- a proud moment
- a family tradition
USPS specifically recommends calling out accomplishments in Santa’s reply.
Turn it into a family event
Write letters together, decorate envelopes, and talk about what giving and gratitude mean. USPS notes this is a wonderful activity for parents, grandparents, and caregivers to share.
Don’t wait too late
Holiday mail ramps up fast. Sending in the recommended windows helps avoid disappointment:
- North Pole Postmark reply: mail Nov 23–Dec 1
- Operation Santa letters: postmark by Dec 6, 2025
Final thought: A little mailbox magic
There’s something timeless about a child opening the mailbox and finding a letter “from Santa.” It’s simple, sweet, and surprisingly easy to pull off with USPS’s holiday programs.
Whether you want a guaranteed keepsake reply with a North Pole postmark — or you want to send a wish into Operation Santa’s community of helpers — you’re giving your family a memory that sticks.
Happy letter-writing, and may your mailbox be merry and bright.
