German 7 Christmas post offices received letters from children around the world addressed to Santa Claus this year. The most well-known “Heaven’s Gate” (Himmelpfort) post office received about 280,000 letters, with 14,000 of them being international, of which over 9,000 letters came from Taiwan, making it the highest sending volume globally.
Every year on the eve of Christmas, the 7 Christmas post offices scattered across Germany receive “wish letters” from children around the world addressed to Santa Claus.
Among them, the branch in the small town of Brandenburg called “Heaven’s Gate” (Himmelpfort) received a total of about 280,000 letters this year, the highest receiving volume among the Christmas post offices in Germany.
The letters sent to Himmelpfort are not only from Europe but also span across all continents. According to Deutsche Post, out of the 280,000 letters, 14,000 are international, with over 9,000 letters from Taiwan, the largest quantity worldwide.
The German postal service pointed out that many children draw doodles of Christmas trees, reindeer, and snowmen in their letters, some even carefully cut out product catalogs and mark order numbers, hoping that Santa Claus “does not buy the wrong gifts.”
The gift wishes vary, with younger children mostly hoping for stuffed toys and building blocks; while older children prefer smartphones, game consoles, and tablets.
The German postal service cited an example of Leon, a 9-year-old boy from Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, who wrote in his letter, “Dear Santa Claus, are you having a good time at the North Pole? I think it must be too cold there. I hope to receive a chess set and a PlayStation. I hope the days before Christmas come faster, so you can visit me at home sooner.”
Aside from toys and electronic products, many children also express their hopes for peace, family health, and harmony in their letters. Elisa, an 8-year-old girl from Brandenburg, said: “I hope to play with Lego with my dad, for it to snow on Christmas, for there to be lots of sunshine in winter, for my family to be healthy, and for them not to argue.”
The history of the German Christmas post office can be traced back to 1984. According to the official website of the German postal service, that year, two children from Berlin and Saxony respectively sent letters to the Himmelpfort branch, specifically addressed to the “Santa Claus living in Himmelpfort.”
The postal workers could not bear to return the letters and decided to impersonate Santa Claus to reply in person. The news that “Santa Claus in Himmelpfort replies to letters” spread among children, and the following year, the number of Christmas letters sent to Himmelpfort increased to 75, initiating a tradition that continues to this day.
As the number of letter senders increases year by year, during the peak period of December in the 1990s, the post office could receive up to 2,000 letters in a day. Since 1995, the German postal service has deployed additional staff and volunteers during the Christmas season to assist the Himmelpfort branch in replying to letters, ensuring that every child who writes a letter receives a response.
Currently, Germany has 7 Christmas post offices officially designated by the German postal service, located in Himmelstadt (Heaven’s City), Engelskirchen (Angel’s Church), St. Nikolaus (St. Nicholas), Nikolausdorf (Nicholas’s Village); and three locations named “Heaven’s Gate”: Himmelpfort, Himmelsthür, Himmelpforten.
The selected branches are mostly chosen due to their names containing meanings such as “heaven,” “angel,” or “Nicholas.”
(Source: Central News Agency)