Santa Claus, Indiana, has been adding colorful picture postmarks featuring their namesake since 1983. There is a new postmark each year. The design is selected from an high school art contest. The winning design becomes that year’s Santa Claus postmark.

A postal service press release says the Santa Claus postmark is one of the most popular holiday postmarks in the nation. (The one from North Pole, Alaska, is another favorite.) People drive hundreds of miles to get their Christmas mail stamped with the special postmarks, and the post office also receives letters and packages from all over the world.

If you’d like to get a Santa Claus postmark, the postmaster offers these tips for ensuring your holiday mail is properly processed:

- Apply the correct postage to cards or letters before bringing or mailing them to the post office;
- Allow at least a two-inch by four-inch space in the stamp area for the picture postmark;
- Do not send your mail too early – the Santa Claus picture postmark is only available in December;
- To ensure a good postmark imprint, please do not enclose large or bulky items in your holiday mail (i.e.; reindeer food, snow flakes, glitter, stickers, etc.);
- If you are requesting the picture postmark, please do not exceed the limit of 50 pieces of mail per person per day.

To get your holiday mail stamped with the special Santa Claus postmark, be sure to seal your cards or letters, affix proper postage and add a complete address. Then place them in a larger envelope or box and mail to:

Santa Claus Postmark
Postmaster
Santa Claus Station
Santa Claus, IN 47579-9998

Be sure to send your letters in time for the post office to process them. They should arrive in Santa Claus, Indiana no later than December 15 to ensure delivery by Christmas.

The first was a Christmas stamp, released in 1962, followed by the first Hanukkah stamp in 1996, and the first Kwanzaa stamp in 1997.

But what inspired the postal service to start creating special stamps for holiday letters and cards? They were copying the success of other Christmas stamps.

Canada was the first country to issue a stamp for Christmas, although history suggests it was a bit of an accident. In December 1898, Canada issued a 2-cent stamp with the words “XMAS 1898″ on it. But the stamp wasn’t originally intended to celebrate the holidays. The stamp honoring Christmas was a result of a misunderstanding. Postmaster William Mulock commented to Queen Victoria that they should release a stamp in November “to honor the Prince.” the postmaster meant the Prince of Wales, who was born in November, but when he saw the displeasure on her face and she asked which prince he was referring to, Mulock reportedly replied, “Why, the Prince of Peace, ma’am”. She agreed to the idea, and when the stamp was issued in December, it had the words “XMAS 1898″ at the bottom.

The milestone encouraged other countries to issue their own holiday stamps. A few issued some type of Christmas stamp in the 1930s and ’40s (some without holiday images and some to raise money for a specific cause), but it wasn’t until 1943 that Hungary issued the first Christmas-themed stamp sold specifically as an adornment for holiday mail.

It was still quite awhile after that before the United States joined the game. In 1958, the postal service issued a Forest Conservation stamp with a deer on it near the holidays, and in 1960, they put out a stamp with a green tree resembling a fir to commemorate the 5th World Forest Congress. Both of these proved very popular due to the release near the holidays. The U.S. Postal Service finally issued its first real Christmas stamp in 1962. That 4-cent stamp featured a wreath, two candles, and the words “Christmas 1962″.

The post office anticipated the first Christmas stamp would be popular, so they ordered 350 million copies of the stamp, the largest number ever produced up until that time for a special stamp. But their projections fell far short of actual demand. When the initial supply ran out, the Bureau of Engraving and Printing had to work around the clock to produce more stamps. By the end of the 1962 holiday season, one billion Christmas stamps were sold.

Since then, the US Postal Service has issued new Christmas stamps every year. Now it’s also possible to create your own personalized USPS stamps for the holidays with online services that make it easy to use your own photos and images. So this year, be sure to add some color and style to your holiday mailings with a Christmas stamp!

Saint Nicholas
One possible reason for the Christmas stocking tradition may be related to Saint Nicholas, the real figure who inspired today’s legend of Santa Claus. There are no written records about the first stockings hung out for Saint Nicholas, but there are legends that can help explain how stockings became a part of our Christmas traditions.

According to one legend about St. Nicholas, a poor man was unable to provide a dowry for his three daughters to marry. The girls had hung their stockings by the fire to dry, so on Christmas Saint Nicholas surprised the family by filling the stockings with enough gold for the dowries. In some variations of the tale, St. Nick throws the gold coins down the chimney instead.

Some people believe this legend is the reason kids started hanging their stockings by the fireplace, hoping that they, too, might receive presents from Saint Nicholas.

Winter Yule Festival
There may be an even earlier origin, however. In the book, “Santa Claus, Last of the Wild Men: The Origins and Evolution of Saint Nicholas, Spanning 50,000 Years,” author Phyllis Siefker says Christmas stockings may be traced back to the the Norse God Odin and the winter Yule festival . During that ancient winter festival, kids placed boots filled with sugar, carrots or straw near the chimney for Odin’s flying horse. Odin, in turn, would leave gifts or candy for the kids. The author says this practice continued in countries like Belgium, Germany, and the Netherlands after Christianity was introduced. Later the practice of leaving boots or stockings near the chimney became associated with St. Nick.

Many cultures now have traditions around hanging stockings at Christmas, but there are many variations on the practice. In some countries – like France and Italy – children put out shoes instead of stockings, and in Italy, the gifts are left on January 6, the last day of Christmas. And  many families now use Christmas stocking holders since not all homes have fireplaces.

We may never know the exact origins of Christmas stockings, but it’s clear that hanging stockings on Christmas Eve is a tradition that is here to stay.

Revised with permission from HubPages: Christmas Stocking History

Similar to Halloween, Jewish people dress up in costumes on the day of Purim. This is to remind them that the Divine was hiding Himself during the events of the Purim story and has remained concealed in their daily lives, while still performing miracles. They also use groggers (noise makers) to blot out the name of the evil villain while they read the story out loud. The basic ideas of Purim are happiness and celebration so Jewish people celebrate Purim by staying happy!

There are four main customs practiced on Purim. Jewish people are supposed to listen to a reading of the story of Purim in the Book of Esther, give charity to the less fortunate, eat a festive meal, and send gifts with foods and cards to friends. These gifts are called Mishloach Manot, or sending of portions, and are only required to be sent to one person. However, similar to Christmas, many Jewish people today will send gifts to everyone they know on Purim as a way to share in the holiday season.

Inside the gift baskets, families will pack different types of food and send it to friends, relatives, and neighbors on the day of Purim. The baskets typically contain any food that is ready to eat so that the receiver can experience the joy and fulfillment during the day of Purim. Commonly, families will include a Purim card or letter in the basket. Similar to Christmas cards, Purim cards wish those receiving them happiness and joy for the holiday season. And similar to Christmas letters, the cards can also detail celebrated occasions and changes from the previous year.

Impress your Jewish friends by sending them a gift basket for Purim. Pack some foods, including Hamentashen (Purim cookies), add a grogger to use on Purim, and write a note or give a card to wish them joy and happiness during the holiday season. Passover is just around the corner from Purim and occurs a month later. This is when Jewish people don’t eat bread for more than a week, so let’s just say it’s nice to enjoy the luxury and happiness of Purim while it is here!

There’s nothing in history to suggest that the red and white stripes were added to signify Christ’s suffering, but not much is know about how candy canes, which were traditionally all white, suddenly started appearing with red stripes. Popular lore suggests that candymakers added the stripes as Christian symbolism. Here are some poems that celebrate the Christian candy cane legend.

Jesus, Gentle Shepherd,
this cane of red and white
proclaims the sweet love story
born on Christmas night

This cane, you see, when turned around
begins your name of love
and now becomes a symbol
of peace proclaimed above
The lively peppermint flavor
is the regal gift of spice
The white is your purity
and the red your sacrifice

And so this cane reminds us
of just how much you care
and like your Christmas gift to us
it’s meant for all to share

—-

A significant symbol of Christmas
Is the simple candy cane.
It’s shape is the crook of the shepherd,
One of the first who came.
The lively peppermint flavor is
The regal gift of spice.
The white is Jesus’ purity.
The red is sacrifice.
The narrow stripes are friendship
And the nearness of his love.
Eternal, sweet compassion,
A gift from God above.
The candy cane reminds us all
how much God loved and cared.
And like His Christmas gift to us
It’s meant to be broken and shared.

Creating Your Christmas Letter in the Shape of a Christmas Tree
Millions of people use Microsoft Word to create written documents every day and most of them want their text to appear in blocks and columns. So  Microsoft has never automated an easy method of creating Christmas tree-shaped text. They have left the advanced features of wrapping text in the shape of an object to more advanced (and more expensive) photo editing and publishing software. However,  you can create this effect in Word with a bit of effort.

To create a Christmas letter in the shape of a Christmas tree like the one shown here, you simply set the text alignment to center and then use manual returns to make each line slightly longer than the previous one. Start with very short lines and gradually increase the length of each one. To make sure your tree isn’t very short and stubby, you’ll need to have two or three lines in a row that are very close in length before you add one that’s a bit longer.

When you get to the base of the tree, you’ll want to create very short lines that are close to the same length to create the illusion of a trunk. To make it more fun, you can make the text of the tree green and the text of the trunk brown. You can also use the Insert>Shapes function to add a star on the top of the tree.

This method requires very little skill or technical knowledge. But if you’d like to try another option that requires the ability to wrap text around objects,  see this post on WordBanter.com.

Then print your Christmas letter in the shape of a tree and let your friends and family enjoy your annual update in a whole new way!

More Creative Christmas Letter Ideas

Wouldn’t it be nice to skip the whole printing, folding and stuffing part? Well, you can.

Clever card manufacturers are now making holiday cards that have enough room for you to print your Christmas letter right in the card. You can create these Christmas letter cards right online. They look great, are easy to create, and mean less work for you.

You simply upload the photo(s), write your text, and then relax or bake Christmas cookies while you’re waiting for the printed cards to arrive in the mail. You’ll still have to address and mail them yourself, but you should have plenty of time for that, since you’ll no longer need to sit at the computer to design and print your Christmas letter.

Of course, you’ll still need to figure out what to say in the letter, so if you need some help drafting your message before you go online to place your order, check out our page with Christmas letter writing tips.

Then when you’re ready, visit Pear Tree Greetings to select a Christmas letter card. All of their cards are printed on 100 lb. card stock, and many of their Christmas card designs are available on 100% post-consumer recycled paper. Use code SANTA15 to save $15 off holiday cards with an order of $100 or or code 16734 to save $10 with a purchase of $70 or more.

More Christmas Letter Examples: 2002 – 2000 – 1999

Christmas Letter Examples
Howard Family Christmas Letter 2003 – The Stolen Naughty and Nice List

It was lunch time at the North Pole. Moe and Joe Jingle, two elves from the Nintendo division, slipped outside the toy factory and quietly raced behind the reindeer barn.

“You got it?” Joe asked. Moe pulled out a sheaf of papers and smiled slyly. “Yep,” he said. “Got it.” They huddled together as Moe unfolded the papers.

“So who are we reading about today?” Joe asked anxiously, trying to peer over Moe’s shoulder. Santa had never installed satellite TV at the North Pole, which meant entertainment was mainly limited to watching reindeer games and playing hockey. Joe and Moe were tired of both. So the two had hacked into Santa’s recently computerized “Naughty and Nice” list to read about the lives of the faraway people who awaited the red-suited gentleman’s visit every year.

“Let’s see. Today we’ve got… some folks from California,” Moe said.

“California! Wow! They’ve got sun there!” Joe said. Joe’s dream was to live in a sunny place. “I bet this one’s gonna be good. They’ve got surfing and oceans and Hollywood actors who become governors. Does it look interesting?”

Moe’s eyes skimmed the paper. “Sorry. No surfer dudes. No Hollywood actors. Just a three-year-old little boy and his parents.”

Joe’s face fell. “Well, might as well read it anyway. We don’t have anything better to do.” He leaned against the reindeer barn and stuck his tongue out to catch the snowflakes that had started falling.

“Let’s see,” Moe said. “Cayne, Lisa and Chase are their names. Sounds like they lead a pretty normal life. Chase just turned three this year. Chase has a few marks in the Naughty column due to intermittent three-year-old naughtiness, but he still got a Nice rating.”

“What about the parents?” Joe said. He had moved away from the building and was now leaning this way and that with his tongue out as he maneuvered to catch the falling snow.

“They’re also on the Nice list.”

“Darn. Nice people are always so boring,” he said.

“Well, it’s not all bad. Says here that they took a few trips this year – camping in Big Sur and northern California, a trip to Seattle and the San Juan Islands to see family, and a visit to Montreal when Lisa had a business trip. That was Chase’s first trip out of the country. He had to get a passport.”

“Hey, that’s cool — a three-year-old with a passport. I’ve never even been away from the North Pole,” he said wistfully. “But I bet Montreal isn’t much warmer than here. What else?”

Moe’s eyes continued down the page. “They were also on TV this year. Cayne, Lisa, and Chase were on the evening news during a Dr. Dean Edell segment. It aired in November.”

“There’s also a whole section here about ‘first’ things Chase did. In addition to taking his first trip outside the country, he learned to ride a bike with training wheels and went to his first dentist visit.” Moe smiled. “Looks like Santa almost put him on the Naughty list that time because he cried when the dentist looked at his teeth, but he was smiling by the time they left. He also got his first driver’s license…”

“What?! Three-year-olds can drive now?” Joe yelled, forgetting all about catching snow on his tongue. “Santa won’t even let me take the sleigh for a practice ride!”

“Calm down, calm down,” Moe said, motioning with his hand. “It was just a license from Autopia at Disneyland. They went there for a week over Thanksgiving with their families – Lisa’s dad, brother, sister, and their families came down early in the week, and then Cayne’s family came down at the end of the week. It says here that Chase loved the Tea Cups, the Matterhorn, and the Haunted Mansion. He wanted to go on all of them again. In fact, Santa has a note here that Lisa gets extra Nice points for taking the kids on the tea cup ride six times.”

“Six times? Wow, that must have made her dizzy,” Joe said. He was back to his snowflake catching. ”I guess these people aren’t as boring as I feared.” He leaned his head way back to catch a snowflake and his green elf hat fall into the snow with a soft jingle from the bell on top. “What else?”

“Chase took swimming lessons during the summer. That was a first, too. He loved it. In fact, he even enjoys going under the water. He actually likes to hold his breath. And Cayne has been doing water aerobics five days a week at 24Hour Fitness, which she really enjoys. She’s made a lot of friends.

“Water aerobics…” Joe sighed. “I wish we had a pool here.”

Moe continued reading. “Oh, no. It says they lost their cat, Kimba, this year,” he said. “They put up flyers all over town and checked the shelters for weeks, but they never heard a word. Then, in a weird, chance meeting, they met a woman who worked at an emergency animal clinic. She said she was pretty sure their cat had been brought in by a nice family who had found him wandering. Unfortunately, he had a urinary blockage and they couldn’t save him. But at least they know what happened to him.”

“Gee, that’s too bad,” Joe said. He stopped catching snowflakes long enough to look appropriately mournful.

“But they also got some new critters, it says,” Moe continued. “They’re on the Naughty list. Callie, their new kitten, who was a stray whose owner they couldn’t find, is on the Naughty list for always trying to get Chase’s new pet fish, Beta. Chase has loved fish ever since he saw ‘Finding Nemo.’” Moe smiled again. “And Cayne and Lisa get extra Nice points for completely indulging him and taking him to see the movie 5 times!! He absolutely loved it. In fact, that was the theme for his third birthday party.”

“But, uh-oh. Looks like Zoey, their dog, is also on the Naughty list for chewing everything in sight. According to Santa’s notes, she’s a real sweetie, but she has chewed the cover for the BBQ grill twice, as well as tubing for the drip irrigation system and numerous other items. And she is on the Naughty list simply for being too big for her exuberant puppy energy. It says Chase loves her, but Zoey gets in trouble a lot because she knocks him down in her excitement.”

Joe took a break from trying to catch snowflakes and looked at his watch. “Hey, we better get something to eat before we get back to the toy factory. Anything else before we grab some grub?”

Moe skimmed the list. “Well, it says Lisa’s company laid off a bunch of people at the end of the year after MSN canceled their contract. She lost eight of the 13 people on her team, but she’s okay for now and looking for another job in case the company goes under.”

Joe swiped at one more snowflake with his tongue. “Think you can get another one tomorrow?”

“Sure. No problem. Santa will never know.” He and Joe turned and headed off to the cafeteria to get lunch.

They never even saw the man in the red suit who was quietly adding names to his Naughty list.

Merry Christmas and best wishes for a great 2004!

In a family Christmas letter, you want to tell your readers about things that happened to you during the year. But the goal of a business letter is not to tell about your company’s successes, but to express your thanks to customers and partners.

Here are some sample business Christmas letters to help you get started.

——————————————————————-

Sample Letter #1

Dear [Customer or Client Name],

The holiday season is a wonderful time for us to remember the friends and customers who help our business and make our jobs a pleasure all year long. Our business would not be possible without your continued support.

So we’d like to take this moment to say thank you and send our best wishes to you and your families. May your new year be filled with all the success and happiness you deserve.

Happy holidays!

[Your Company Name]

——————————————————————-

Sample Letter #2

Dear [Customer or Client Name],

As the holiday season approaches, we’d like to take this opportunity to thank you for your continued business. It is business associates like you who make our jobs a pleasure and keep our business successful.

May your holiday season and the new year be filled with much joy, happiness and success. We look forward to working with you in the coming year and hope our business relationship continues for many years to come.

Happy holidays!

[Your Company Name]

You can give your business Christmas letter some holiday cheer by printing it on holiday paper instead of your company letterhead. Then be sure to send your letters in plenty of time to arrive before the holidays.

Happy writing!

You can get video proof of Santa’s visit to your very own house to show your kids. It’s easy. Just set up your video camera in the room where you want to catch St. Nick, send your kids off to bed…. and then sneak to the computer for a little Christmas magic at TheSantaVideo.com.

The Santa Video makes it easy for anyone to get a video of Santa in your house. All you need to do is upload a photo (not a video) of your living room, family room, or wherever Santa leaves presents in your home. Then select from one of 5 video clips of Santa at work. You’ll see him walk into your home, put down his bag of gifts and even enjoy some milk and cookies while he’s visiting. Once you choose the Santa video you prefer and indicate which of the songs (if any) you want to add as background music, you’ll be able to see a preview of your video showing Santa at work in your house. It’s so believable you might find yourself believing in Santa again, too!

The whole process of creating your video will take less than 5 minutes. And your kids will be amazed! Catching Santa has never been easier.

Christmas is the perfect time of year to reconnect with friends and family at home and abroad. The practise of sending messages of good will to each other has been made since Pagan times. German records show that people sent New Year cards in the fourteenth century, which later developed into a tradition of sending New Year gifts of a printed scene for the home complete with an inscription. In the United Kingdom eighteenth century children would design “Christmas Pieces” for their families, which were specially written messages on engraved paper, it is believed these messages eventually led on to the cards we know today. The origins of the first commercially available Christmas cards can be traced to Sir Henry Cole in December 1843; it simply bore the message `A Merry Christmas and A Happy New Year to You`.

Cards are usually sent in the weeks running up to Christmas and may carry a range of images. Some bear overtly religious scenes and messages relating to the nativity scene or even relevant Bible passages. Other cards may have a less religious feel but still convey thoughts of goodwill. Many have scenes of traditional Christmas festivities and customs such as feasting, giving gifts, carolling or enjoying winter weather. Father Christmas and his minions provide great fodder for more humorous cards and are frequently featured.

Cards for close family members and for friends can be easily customised using the Hallmark site. Imagine Grannies delight at receiving a card designed especially for her. Dads, Mums, Granddads, Sisters, Brothers, Aunts, Uncles, Nieces and Nephews can all receive the same joy when opening their cards. Friends need not miss out either, as using templates makes it possible to provide a unique design for every recipient. If the templates do not quite suit then it is possible to use your own photographs. Businesses too can use the template system to customise a range of cards to be sent. Charity cards are also available.

Involve everyone in the family when it comes to sending the cards. Addressing envelopes and sticking on stamps can seem more fun if you are all together. It is also a chance to talk to younger members of the family about who you are sending cards to and why it is important to keep touch! Don`t forget to add a little a personal touch when contacting friends, even a hand written signature will go a long way. If you are posting abroad, then check early to make sure you don`t miss posting dates.

And finally make sure you allow plenty of time to choose your perfect Christmas cards. Due to the increasingly busy lives people live, the tradition of exchanging cards is, perhaps, more important than ever as it allows you to connect with friends and family and let them know that you are thinking of them. Of course if you do leave it a little late or get caught out by a card you weren`t expecting, you could also send a New Year card instead.

Using a printable Christmas template for your annual holiday letter to family and friends is an eco-friendly way to make sure you’re not wasting paper – or running out! You’ll always have just the right amount.

What is a Christmas letter template?
A Christmas letter template is simply a document with a holiday design that has been set up for you to customize with your own content. Typically, they are saved as Microsoft Word documents, so they’re easy to edit. You simply download the document, open it in Word, and replace any sample text with your own. Basic templates may just have a Christmas background design inserted into Word with the text box already set up, or more advanced templates may include a place for you to add your own photo, or may be formatted as a newsletter with multiple columns, boxes and areas for you to write your own content.

Why Use a Christmas letter template?
If you’re concerned about our natural resources, a template makes sense for several reasons. First, you’ll never have to worry about having leftover paper that you can’t use. With a downloadable Word Christmas template, you’ll never have excess.

Second, you can always choose recycled paper. If you buy Christmas letter paper at the store, you may have a hard time finding a design you like on recycled paper, or the recycled content may not be up to your standards. With a printable template, you can print your holiday letter on the paper you prefer.

Third, there’s no shipping or packaging involved. Your stationery isn’t hauled across the country in gas-guzzling freight trucks or packaged in non-biodegradable plastic. So your purchase is greener and cleaner than stationery from the store.

You can find inexpensive printable Microsoft Word Christmas letter templates here at Christmas Letter Tips.com or at our partner site, ChristmasLetterTemplate.com.

Article Source: Go Green with a Christmas Letter Template

By Lisa Howard

Here we are as in olden days,
Happy golden days of yore.
Faithful friends who are dear to us
Gather near to us once more.

Through the years we all will be together
If the Fates allow
Hang a shining star upon the highest bough.
And have yourself a merry little Christmas now.

Frank Sinatra Singing “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”