Christmas text replaces card

Empire Vale Public School students (in front) Indikah Sommerfeld, 5, and (from back left) Isabella Monti, 6, Scarlett Hoad, 5, Hannah Radburn, 6, and Ethan Barnwell, 6, post their letters.

Cathy Adams

IN THIS day and age when everysecond person uses Facebook to wish their loved ones a merry Christmas, Santa may need to reassess his communication situation.

But then again, the prominence of emails, social networking and SMS-ing didn't stop Empire Vale Public School students from getting their letters to Santa the traditional way – via post.

Five of the school's kindergarten students ventured to the post office yesterday to post their requests to Father Christmas.

Gary Carr, of the Empire Vale Post Office, said only a few people still posted Christmas cards.

“We get a few people posting letters, but most people send emails or text and things like that,” he said.

“I might have to talk to Santa about that. It does take a while for the letter to get to the North Pole, but it always gets there in time.

“But kids should get their letters in as soon as possible. We get a lot more mail between now and Christmas.”

Up to 120,000 children are expected to send their letters to Santa over the next fortnight. But only those posted before December 17 will receive a reply from the man himself.

Letters must have a 60-cent stamp, a return address and must be add-ressed to: Santa at the North Pole, post code 9999.

Six-year-old Scarlett Hoad is using her letter to ask for a doll from Santa.

“I hope he is going to get me a dolly and I will call her Love Heart,” she said. “I have a chimney that Santa comes down and last time I heard his reindeer on the roof.”

Indikah Sommerfeld does not have a chimney, but knows Santa still makes the effort to get her presents under the tree.

“Santa just comes through the front door for me,” she said.