Did you ever write a letter to Santa when you were a kid? I'll bet you've heard about doing it at least.

I never did when I was little. But the fact is, hundreds of thousands of letters are sent each year.

When children write to Santa Claus, what do they say? Carole Slotterback, a psychology professor at the University of Scranton, analyzed nearly 1,200 letters addressed to Santa and sent to the central post office in Scranton, Pennsylvania.

The letters were written on all kinds of paper with all kinds of drawings. They contained stories that ranged from humorous to heart-wrenching.

Here are a few examples of what kids had to say:

  • One child asked to become an elf.
  • A child wrote out a list that included video games, a camera and a microscope, but about every third item, the child wrote: "NO clothes."
  • One little girl asked Santa for a mother. "Not just for me but my daddy, brother and granny...my daddy works so hard and then he comes home to cook and clean and it should be easier," the letter, written in careful cursive on pink paper, read. She drew a 5-cent "stamp" on the envelope.
  • One child asked Santa to check the appropriate box: Real or not real?
  • Kids who wrote letters, instead of just making a list, tended to be more polite and chatty, sometimes even asking about Mrs. Claus.
  • During the 2001 Christmas season following the September 11 attacks, many of the letters were decorated with Santa's sleigh and American flags flying on it. Children also asked for fewer toys that year.

And here's something else that you may find interesting. The U.S. Postal Service receives hundreds of thousands of letters to Santa each year. Responses to some of the letters are written by Operation Santa, which is staffed by volunteers, companies and postal employees.

Source: Radio Online

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