In the case of Microsoft's web site, however, there have been occasional unfortunate outcomes. In 2010, the Brazilian National Post Service, "Correios" shaped partnerships with public colleges and social establishments to encourage kids to put in writing letters and make use of postcodes and stamps. In 2009, the Brazilian National Post Service, "Correios" answered virtually two million children's letters, and spread some seasonal cheer by donating 414,000 Christmas presents to some of Brazil's neediest citizens.
Some national postal operators make it attainable to ship in e-mail messages that are answered by bodily mail. All the identical, Santa nonetheless receives far more letters than e-mail through the national postal operators, proving that kids nonetheless write letters.
Many other websites grew to become obtainable yr-round, devoted to Santa Claus and purport to keep tabs on his actions in his workshop. Many of these web sites also embody e mail addresses or net varieties which declare to allow kids to ship e mail to Santa Claus. One explicit website known as emailSanta.com was created when a 1997 Canada Post strike prevented Alan Kerr's young niece and nephews from sending their letters to Santa; in a number of weeks, over 1,000 emails to Santa have been obtained, and the location had obtained 1,000 emails a day one 12 months later. Some web sites, corresponding to Santa's page on Microsoft's former Windows Live Spaces or emailSanta.com, nevertheless have used or still use "bots" or other automated packages to compose and ship personalized and realistic replies.
A letter to Santa is commonly a toddler's first experience of correspondence. Written and sent with the assistance of a parent or trainer, youngsters be taught about the structure of a letter, salutations, and the use of an handle and postcode.
Wodan's function during the Yuletide period has been theorized as having influenced ideas of St. Nicholas in a variety of sides, together with his long white beard and his gray horse for nightly rides (evaluate Odin's horse Sleipnir) or his reindeer in North American tradition. During the Middle Ages, often on the night earlier than his name click for source day of 6 December, youngsters were bestowed presents in his honour. This date was earlier than the original day of items for the kids, which moved in the midst of the Reformation and its opposition to the veneration of saints in lots of international locations on 24 and 25 December.
The customized of gifting to kids at Christmas has been propagated by Martin Luther as a substitute for the earlier very popular present customized on St. Nicholas, to focus the curiosity of the youngsters to Christ as a substitute of the veneration of saints. Martin Luther first advised the Christkind as the bringer of items. Santa Claus is usually depicted as a portly, jolly, white-bearded man—typically with spectacles—wearing a purple coat with white fur collar and cuffs, white-fur-cuffed red trousers, pink hat with white fur, and black leather belt and boots and carrying a bag stuffed with items for kids.
Writing letters to Santa Claus has been a Christmas custom for youngsters for many years. These letters normally contain a wishlist of toys and assertions of fine behavior. Some social scientists have found that boys and girls write several types of letters. Girls usually write longer but more well mannered lists and express the character of Christmas more in their letters than in letters written by boys.
In France, by 6 December 2010, a group of 60 postal elves had despatched out reply playing cards in response to eighty,000 e-mail on-line request forms and more than 500,000 physical letters. These letters could also be answered by postal workers or outside volunteers. Writing letters to Santa Claus has the academic advantages of promoting literacy, laptop literacy, and e-mail literacy.
This picture grew to become popular in the United States and Canada within the 19th century because of the significant influence of the 1823 poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" and caricaturist and political cartoonist Thomas Nast. This picture has been maintained and strengthened via music, radio, television, kids's books, movies, and advertising.