How to write Santa's reply to your child's letter

When a child writes to Santa, the reply they hope for is not a list of presents. It is proof that Santa read every word. The easiest way to give them that is to answer two or three things they actually wrote, in Santa’s voice, and add one true detail from their year that only someone watching closely would know.

How to write it

Answer their questions first

If they asked how the reindeer stay warm or whether Santa likes cookies, answer that in the first lines. Kids check for it.

Echo one thing from their letter in their own words

If they wrote “I am trying to be nicer to my brother,” Santa can say “I saw you trying to be nicer to your brother, and it’s working.”

Add one true thing they didn’t mention

A new skill, a brave moment, something kind. This is the line that makes it feel like magic.

Don’t confirm the gift list

Santa can say he read the list carefully, without promising anything. That keeps Christmas morning safe whatever happens.

End with something small to look forward to

A goodnight on Christmas Eve, a wave at the sky, or a job like leaving a carrot for the reindeer.

An example

Dear Maya, thank you for your letter. I read it twice, and Mrs. Claus read it too. You asked if the reindeer get cold. They don’t! Their fur is so thick that snow sits on top of it like a blanket. I also heard you learned to zip your own coat this year, which is a very useful skill at the North Pole. I read your list very carefully. On Christmas Eve, please leave a carrot by the door. The reindeer always remember who does that.

Another way to say it

Dear Leo, your letter arrived safely, and I want to answer the most important part first. You wrote that you are trying to be nicer to your sister. I noticed. The day you let her pick the movie, even though it wasn’t the one you wanted, the elves talked about it for a week. That kind of thing is harder than it looks. Keep going, and have a wonderful Christmas.

These are examples we wrote to show the tone. They are not customers’ letters.

Questions parents ask

What if my child asks for something I can’t give?

Have Santa say he read the list and loved hearing what matters to them, and leave it there. Never write a promise you can’t keep.

Should the reply come by mail?

Mail is lovely, but it has cutoff dates. A printed letter left by the tree, on the mantel, or tucked into their letter’s envelope works just as well, and it can be ready the same night.

What if they didn’t write a letter this year?

You can still write one from Santa using things you know from their year. Our guide on what to write in a letter from Santa walks through it.

Want one written for your child?

Tell us a first name and a few true things about their year. A letter from Santa Claus with a matching certificate is ready to print in a minute or two. From $3.99, nothing to mail.

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