Sissy asked:


Writing letters is still a common activity for youngsters who believe in Santa Claus. Many kids at the Toronto Santa Claus Parade have their Santa Claus letter in hand to deliver to the walking post office. Since many children are excited about Christmas and the arrival of Santa Claus, teachers can educate students on how to write a personal letter and be sure to have the student’s attention.

Introduction to Writing a Letter to Santa Claus

Gather the children on the carpet and read a story about Santa Claus. Once the story is finished ask the students who would like to write Santa Claus. Most if not all hands will be eagerly waving in the air.

Ask students what they would need to write a letter to Santa Claus. On the blackboard or chart paper record all of their answers. You may need to prompt the children to complete the list for letter writing. The Santa Claus letter list should include; date, Santa Claus’s address, writer’s address, salutation, closing, body of the paragraph, stamp, and envelope. After you have all the information on the list, it is time to write a letter to Santa Claus.

Begin the lesson with reading a letter you wrote to Santa Claus when you were a little girl or boy. In the letter include all of the appropriate information for a letter. After the letter is written ask the students if they are ready to write a letter to Santa Claus.

Shared Letter Writing

Together as a class, write a letter to Santa Claus. Have students refer to your letter to write the classroom letter. Always ask open ended questions to allow children to problem solve. Begin the letter and emphasis capitals, spacing, and punctuation. You may wish to make mistakes on the letter and have students assist you in making the corrections with a different marker. Once the letter is written, the class will read the letter.

There are so many options for writing and receiving letters from Santa Claus.  I ordered a personalized letter from Santa for my daughter and she didn’t put if down for days.  Try www.OriginalSantaMail.com  Only cost me $10 and it was the best gift she received that year for Christmas.



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Debbie Allen asked:


It’s time to start planning for Christmas again and how to make it even more unique. If you are like the average person that recognizes and acknowledges this endearing holiday, you will be dragging out your favorite and most cherished decorations from past Christmases plus adding more. Most people seem to continuously build their supply of adornments. After all, there are always new and gorgeous ornaments, wreaths, garlands, and other decorative embellishments we can add. The truth is that having a wide rangeoffers the opportunity to either have a themed oriented decorating scheme, or a free for all style.

Decorating your home and surroundings is usually a Christmas tradition that all members of the family participate in. Even the very young get into the act. And of course, us grownups sometimes get a little emotional at Christmas time. It’s not hard to do as we think about favorite Christmases from years gone by. And if we are really lucky we will even have some keepsakes from those times that seem to keep us in touch with our past.

Christmas traditions are a wonderful way to bridge the gap between old and new, and young and old. The passing down of traditions keeps a bond of sorts between the generations. Just as our parents celebrated during the holidays, we have followed, and our kids will too.

Whether your family traditionally spends a specific time making and displaying Christmas craft projects, or simply decorating, or just spending quality time together, these can all become memorable Christmas traditions. And great memories will be a part of each Christmas as the tradition is carried on.

My family’s Christmas traditions include putting our Christmas tree up on Thanksgiving Day. Afterward, we work on a few Christmas craft projects – a family favorite is making snowmen out of Styrofoam balls. It’s easy enough even for the youngest members to do and fun for all.

When the craft projects are complete it is time to write our letter to Santa Claus. The kids love this. I always look forward to learning what it is that the children really want for Christmas. When the letters are done we put them in envelopes addressed to Santa Claus at the North Pole. And when the kids receive an authentic letter back with a Santa Claus postmark from the North Pole they are ecstatic. As soon as their eyes take in the postmark from Santa Claus they are overjoyed, and I get to share in their joy.

No matter what activities you and your family look forward to together, the essential thing is to make it fun and make it meaningful. There’s something about Christmas that is simply enchanting and I believe that magic lives in our hearts. It just takes thewonders of Christmas to bring it out in each of us.



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Clare Swindlehurst asked:


If you’ve ever visited Santa’s Workshop in the North Pole you’ll know that Santa has many elves helping him to prepare for Christmas. But I bet you didn’t know that not all of the elves stay in the workshop all year round. Each and every year Santa sends some of his magical elves on a special assignment. To visit the homes of little boys and girls the world over, to spend time in their homes and with their families, and to report back to Santa about their behaviour in the run up to Christmas.

Santa’s Elf is designed to make Christmas a magical one for your children. He’s the perfect interactive tradition for families and school classes. Do you have young children who would like a visit from Santa’s Magic Elf this Christmas? Then read on and find out how to bring a little Elf Magic into your home this holiday season.

This magical elf is very mischievous and gets himself into all manner of unlikely places as he carries out Santa’s investigations. Your kids will also want to take him to visit friends and classmates so he needs to be sturdy. If you are creative you could make your own Magic Elf using material scraps, other wise you can pick one up from a store.

Your Magic Elf will need a name, a letter from Santa explaining the reason for his visit and a small notebook or journal in which he will write his Elf Report. The premise here is that Father Christmas has sent this little elf to visit your family to report back to Father Christmas on the behaviour of your children. Santa will return to collect the Elf on Christmas Eve and if they have been good he will leave gifts before whisking the Elf home to the North Pole.

You’ll need to decide on the best time for him to arrive into your house. This could be during Thanksgiving, a couple of weeks before Christmas, or even on the day you put up the Christmas Tree. Choose a day that suits your family best. You might want to put the elf in a basket along with his letter and notebook, or hide him in the Christmas Tree. Use your imagination to introduce him to your kids with a little fan fare – he is an important guest after all!

Once the Elf is settled into your house he will need to spend the evenings carrying out his research, once the little ones are sound asleep you can hide him in cupboards or behind the sofa. Carrying out Santa’s investigations is tiring work and this little elf can be known to fall asleep on the job. The kids will have to search for him in the morning to find out where he fell asleep this time.

Oh and did I mention the Elf Mischief? Yes, he has a mischievous streak and is known to take all of the pots and pans out of the kitchen cupboards, hide the remote control for the television and leave candies in coat pockets — all while the kids are fast asleep!

Come December 24 your visiting elf will need to be packed and ready for his trip home to the North Pole. Make sure you bundle him up warm with his Elf Report and place him near the chimney or window so that he can let Santa into the house. Your children might want to send him home with a letter that they have written to Santa. They’ll probably want to tell him all about the mischief that the elf got up to, how much they enjoyed his visit, and of course extend an invitation for next Christmas!



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Debbie Allen asked:


There is not a wonder that times are tough for millions of families across the nation. The poor economy has resulted in added and decreased incomes. Even so, during difficult times the holidays and gift-giving events continue. Finding ways to make Christmas meaningful without breaking the bank can be less difficult than you think.

One of the essential things to keep in mind is that unique time with family during the holidays can create long-lasting memories that are remembered for years to comer. One of the most fundamental things a family can do is to make and/or continue pleasurable family traditions that all can enjoy.

I suggest that you start your Christmas holiday season on Thanksgiving Day. Here’s what my family does:

After the meal is over and the dinner table is free of dishes, all the kids and some grown-ups gather to make hand-crafted Christmas decorations. By keeping a craft basket continuously that is added to regularly, the choices are infinite. We keep things like remnants of material, buttons, colorful pipe cleaners, ribbons and lace, construction paper, glue, glitter, Styrofoam balls and bits and pieces of stuff.

The final result is often some very imaginative Christmas crafts and most are extremely cute. As the crafters work diligently to make their projects we have beautiful Christmas playing on the stereo. And after the crafting process is over it is time to find the ideal spot for showcasing them.

Then it’s back to the table for a final project of the day – which is writing letters to Santa. All the children usually spends time discussing this part of the day throughout the dinner so they already have a good idea of what they want to say to the old guy.

While creating the letters is fun for everyone, receiving letters from Santa Claus is simply enchanting. The good news is that genuine letters from the North Pole with a postmark from Santa Claus are not only easy to get – they are low cost.

These easy ideas and more like them can result in a Christmas that is very special and one that will be remembered because it involves comfortable family time. Many of the decorations will be used for many years and the letter from Santa will become a memorable keepsake.



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Lyotty from Finland asked:


Like we all know, the real Santa Claus lives and has always lived far, far in Korvatunturi in Lapland, Finland. There, he has his home and the secret workshop, the gift shop and many other buildings. The strange thing is that the way to Korvatunturi is known only by Santa Claus himself, his elves and of course his faithful reindeer. You can easily find the location of Korvatunturi (483 meters high) on the map.

 

Korvatunturi is a mysterious place where the elves can listen to the children and adults whether they are good or bad. The elves listen to all the people and write their observations in the gigantic notebooks. In general, they book only positive comments on the notebooks. Sometimes it is however also necessary note down tantrums, grumbling and bad behaviour, which from time to time can accidentally happen. Especially before Christmas, the elves are known to move to homes and in neighborhoods near children making close observations about the children’s behaviour and their kindness.

 

Just before Christmas, Santa Claus examines all the comments in the notebooks and carefully chooses gifts for all kind and good children. In case there is a note of naughtiness, Santa Claus May also show his disapproval. Fortunately, in recent years, there have been fewer such incidents because everyone has been so good.

 

Did you know that in Finland, the home country of Santa Claus, he personally delivers all the gifts to the kind children? When he arrives in the house, he always asks the question: “Ho, Ho, Ho, are there any kind children here?”. Children are often singing a short song to Santa and also promise to be very good next year too. Then Santa, with the help of the children to read labels, gives the gifts to the children and sometimes to their parents too.

 

In many other countries Santa Claus brings gifts to the homes of children while they are asleep.In the morning, parents give the gifts to their children. At this time Santa Claus is already on his way back to Korvatunturi.

 

Letter from Santa Claus is a delight for everybody.

 

Do you remember how exciting it was to wait for Christmas when you were a child? It could have been a many years ago, but the same feelings still arise when the Christmas season begins.That is why it is so nice to get a letter just before Christmas, a letter that has been sent by the Finnish Santa Claus. You can choose from 15 different language options and your name can also been added to it – by Santa Claus of course, who naturally signs the letter.

 

The original letter from Father Christmas is a nice way to remember your friends and family members anywhere in the world. With the letter you can send the spirit of Christmas to your family and loved ones and are spreading the traditional, warm Christmas feeling.Delivered to your children, friends, loved ones or clients to all over the world for Christmas 2008!

 

Click here to order Santa´s letter



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Jamila asked:


Every family may have slightly different Christmas traditions with regards to Santa Claus, but there are some very easy things any person can do to keep the belief in Santa at an all time high. The following 7 techniques will keep your child believing in the magic and wonderment of Santa Claus and you don’t have to be familiar with the history of Santa Claus to apply them.

1) Have your child write a Santa Letter. This can be a simple letter that your child can write to Santa Claus. Children absolutely love to write a letter to Santa, but they occasionally need a little parental guidance to pull it off.

Help your child include a special list of gifts they desire for Christmas into the Santa letter. Many children enjoy getting more creative by drawing or cutting out pictures that represent the gifts they want.

Once the child’s Santa letter is finished, simply mail it to the North Pole. Mail it to the following Santa Claus address: Santa Claus, 1 Candy Cane Lane, North Pole 00001. Don’t bother using a return address, you wouldn’t want it to return as ‘undeliverable’ for any reason.

2) Write a Letter from Santa and have your child receive it in the mail. Create a personalized letter from Santa by directly mentioning your child’s name and certain information about your child in the text. This will make for a much more believable Santa letter. Be sure to make these letters from Santa different for each child in the same household. The child will have no doubt that Santa Claus is coming to town after they receive their personalized letter from Santa!

“I can honestly state as a parent that the personalized letter from Santa has single handedly restored my son’s belief! The look of shock and amazement on his face when he got an ‘authentic letter from Santa’ quickly abolished any doubt he previously had about Santa Claus.”

Print the Santa letter on authentic looking letterhead, as this will help to reinforce the believability. Many different styles of paper can be found at your local office supply store.

You can add to the fun by getting your letter from Santa postmarked at the North Pole. Simply send your Santa letter inside another sealed, stamped envelope to: North Pole Christmas Cancellation, Postmaster, 5400 Mail Trail, Fairbanks, AK 99709-9999. (It needs to arrive by December 15th)

Many parents add a certificate for being on Santa’s “Nice List” along with the Santa Letter for added effect. Another great item to add with the Santa letter is a Santa Claus coloring sheet. Combining the personalized Santa letter, the nice certificate, and the Santa Claus coloring sheet is a sure fire method for keeping your child believing.

3) Have your child leave milk and cookies out for Santa Claus on Christmas Eve. This is simple enough to do with your child. It lets your child know YOU still believe, too. Make it a bonding experience for you and your child by baking the cookies together on Christmas Eve. Don’t underestimate how powerful this can be for creating joyful memories of Santa Claus, for both you and your child. Did you know that Santa’s favorite cookie recipe is Chocolate Chip?

Put the fresh cookies on a plate next to a glass of cold milk. You can even put a short letter to Santa Claus next to the cookies and milk. These tasty treats will give Santa the energy he needs to continue traveling to the millions of other households awaiting his arrival.

Don’t forget to leave some crumbs on the table Christmas morning. Your child will feel honored that Santa Claus ate the whole plate of cookies and drank all of the milk before rushing on his way.

4) On Christmas Eve, have your child sprinkle reindeer food on the lawn. Santa Claus gets milk and cookies on Christmas Eve, but what about Rudolph and the rest of the joyful gang? What do they eat? Well, reindeer food, of course!

You can make a batch of environmentally friendly reindeer food with common grocery items such as oats or granola. (Do not use potentially hazardous items, such as glitter in your reindeer food.  Although this may make the reindeer food appear to be magical in some way, it can be extremely dangerous if ingested by small children, should they decide to ‘sample’ the reindeer food. It can also be potentially hazardous to the small animals outside such as rabbits, dogs, or cats that may eat the food.)

Once you have the reindeer food mixed up, walk outside with your child on Christmas Eve night and explain the importance of making sure Santa’s sleigh team stays fed. Sprinkle a small amount onto your yard near bushes or trees.

This healthy reindeer snack will give Rudolph and the rest of the reindeer the nourishment they need to continue flying Santa’s heavy sleigh into the night. Your child will be proud for helping Santa Claus on his journey, and is sure to raise the belief in Rudolph and the other reindeer as well.

5) Leave Santa Claus tracks in your house on Christmas Eve. Being sure to not stain your carpet, leave some dirty boot prints by the fireplace (or doorway). Be sure to draw attention to the Santa Claus footprints on Christmas morning. To a child, this is solid evidence that Santa had been to their house.

6) A month or so after Christmas, send your child a postcard from Santa Claus on vacation. This not only keeps your child believing, but reminds your child that Santa is in their hearts all year long. It also answers the common question posed by children after Christmas, “Where is Santa Claus now?”

Be sure to make the postcard from somewhere very warm and sunny. After all, Santa does need a break from all that North Pole snow.

7) Mail your child a birthday greeting from Santa Claus. This technique works in tandem with the personalized Santa Letter you mailed your child previously. Mailing your child a simple birthday card from Santa is an excellent way to keep your child’s belief high throughout the year. Your child will think, “Wow! Santa actually knows my birthday!” The shock on your child’s face will be priceless.

Parents that have extremely intelligent kids or kids that are getting slightly older will genuinely need to utilize all 7 techniques mentioned above to keep their child believing in Santa Claus.

These techniques will assure your child is one of the millions of children that write Santa Letters each and every holiday season… one of the millions of children that believe wholeheartedly in Santa Claus.



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Debbie Allen asked:


Millions and millions of people all across America will be celebrating Christmas this year, and if you fall into this category you will most likely enjoy the holiday season with a Christmas tree in your house. And just as each of us are unique, each of our Christmas trees will be unique. Decorating our Christmas trees is a treasured tradition – just like writing letters to Santa (and hoping to get a letter with a Santa Claus postmark) and gift giving.

Some people decorate according to a theme and some according to a color scheme and others have  more of a free for all style. The advantage of using a theme is that it makes the shopping experience easier when you are purchasing your decorations because it gives you a focus.  The same is true of color schemes. Most of us have some cherished  decorations that we will tire of – so we want to always find a way to fit those in with our yearly decorations.

Department stores, drug stores, and dollar stores are great places to find inexpensive Christmas ornaments and other decorations. This means you should be able to purchase your Christmas tree decorations, whether it’s lights or ornaments, at a relatively cheap price at any of these shops.

Another option for finding some really nice Christmas decorations is Christmas specialty shops. These are stores that specialize in Christmas decorations. You may or may not live in an area where any of these shops are located. Although the shops offer wonderful decorations, they can be extremely expensive.

The Internet is another fabulous option for finding terrific Christmas decorations. A simple search will provide you with a list of numerous sites that sell high quality, chic Christmas tree decorations and ornaments. You might also want to think about companies or individuals that focus on the creation of unique, handcrafted Christmas ornaments.  Of course, handcrafted Christmas ornaments, especially those that are personalized in some way, can be quite expensive.  One other option is handcrafting some of your own Christmas decorations. This can be fun for the whole family. There are lots of websites that offer step by step instructions for Christmas craft projects – and most of them are very easy to do.

Decorations from past years can bring back wonderful memories. Besides the joy their sight brings to you, they will save you money on your Christmas decorating budget. Always use at least a few of these every year.



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“santa Himself “ asked:


Thousands of letters arrive each day at the North Pole from boys and girls. Some take the time to tell me a little bit about themselves so I can get to know them better and others get straight to telling me what they want for Christmas. There are some that take the time to tell me about their families, their pets, or even their hobbies. Most of the letters make me happy but today I got one that made me feel very sad and I want to tell you about it.

This letter was from a little boy that lives far, far away. He said that he always wanted to write me a Christmas letter but he did not have any paper that looked nice enough to use. This little boy worried that he would be forgotten at Christmas time if he did not send a letter. The problem was that he thought that Santa would only want letters written on the finest of paper. But after worrying for a long time about being forgotten and left out at Christmas time, the little boy finally wrote his letter to me on his school paper. His letter arrived in plenty of time before Christmas.

I want everyone to know that I will read Santa Letter that are written on any type, color, or size of paper. I don’t care if the letter is written with crayons, pens or pencils. A typed letter that has been created on a computer is also okay. If you don’t know how to write or if you can’t for some reason, then get someone else to do it for you.

The letter does not have to be fancy. I can read almost any handwriting and even if you don’t know how to spell a word I will know what you mean. If you are not sure what something is called you can just tell me what you think it is and I will understand. I have been doing this for a long time! The important thing is to just write the letter.

Once you have it written the letter will find its way here. It seems that letters to Santa are almost magical. Somehow they always get here. Birds have delivered some and others have arrived in bottles floating in the water. You see, all animals know the power and magic of Christmas so they are always ready to help us in any way they can. Just write your letter and address it to Santa at the North Pole.



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