Dear Santa…

We live in a world of e-communications, where even the Pope has a twitter account, but Father Christmas still prefers his communications the old fashioned way with handwritten letters posted up chimneys.  With this in mind the following advice might be helpful.

Although Santa has had years to perfect present buying, he is a man and therefore appreciates guidance on what gifts to purchase especially given the scale of his acquisition and distribution operations.  As a traditionalist Father Christmas values correct spelling, punctuation and grammar.  Just as he takes great care to ensure the right presents reach the right children, so Santa likes to see letters properly laid out with full addresses for GPS purposes.  Avoid festive spelling errors – Rudolph is most definitely a reindeer not a ‘raindear’.

Santa and his helpers like letters to be appropriately paragraphed.  The first paragraph provides context explaining who the writer is and what they have been up to this year.  Santa needs to check children are not on the “naughty list”.

The second paragraph will outline the Christmas wish list, and Santa appreciates a sense of priorities in what is being requested.  Lengthy and over-ambitious lists may result in some disappointments; sleighs have baggage weight restrictions and the current economic austerity also affects the polar regions.

The third paragraph is important, but often overlooked.  In asking for things recipients don’t have it is important to acknowledge and say thank you for all that they do possess.    Santa likes to know that parents, families, friends, good health and fortune are all appreciated and not taken for granted.  Father Christmas also wants to hear that the true values of Christmas matter most.  Peace. kindness and love are priceless; for everything else there might be credit cards.

Finally it is always important to end with a thank you.   Just as Father Christmas will appreciate words of gratitude, so do all the other parents and grandparents, friends and relatives who make Christmas such a special time.

Merry Christmas.