How to send a letter to Santa this Christmas (and get a reply)

Christmas might still be weeks away, but Santa needs to get children's wish lists in early for the presents to make it into the stockings.

That means young children across the UK will need to start writing their letters to Santa, with the final day to send them coming up in a few weeks, on Friday, December 8.

From now until December 25, little ones will be counting down the days until Christmas Eve and taking part in festive traditions, such as building gingerbread houses, singing carols and, of course, writing a letter to Santa.

The annual letter to Santa tradition may be a sneaky way for parents to find out what their children are hoping to see under the Christmas tree. But, for children, doing this is an exciting part of the run-up to Christmas Day, especially when they receive a reply.

Royal Mail, in partnership with Hallmark, is once again running a Letters to Santa scheme. Children can actually write to Father Christmas at the North Pole – and receive a Christmas card from the man himself in return.

A note from Santa on the Royal Mail website reads: “Dear Children, are you looking forward to Christmas this year? I certainly am! Christmas is a very exciting but busy time for me.

“The elves are busy making toys, the reindeer are practising their sleigh runs, and I’m busy preparing my list of who’s been good.

“I will be getting my sleigh ready for the long journey on Christmas Eve. In between, I will try and reply to as many of you as possible.”

To take part, write a letter to Santa, making sure to include your full name and address.

Send your letter to the following address, and make sure to include a stamp on the envelope: Santa/Father Christmas, Santa’s Grotto, Reindeerland, XM4 5HQ.

If you’d like to receive your reply in Welsh, send the letter to: Sion Corn, Ogof Sion Corn, Gwlad Y Ceirw, XM4 5HQ.

Post your letter by Friday, December 8 and Santa will reply. The deadline for larger groups (such as schools) is December 1.

Children will receive a card that says: “Greetings from the North Pole, and a very merry thank you for your letter.”

The card also includes a message from Santa, Mrs Claus, the reindeer and the elves, plus a gingerbread buddy recipe and a QR code that links to Christmas activities.

If you can’t wait to receive the reply, or miss the deadline, you can also download Santa’s card from the Royal Mail website.