One child’s Christmas list is short and to the point. ‘This year, I would like end of Covid-19, world peace, climate control, new Xbox,’ it reads.
Anthony told Santa he wants a magical button he could press to transport him away from the weary reality of the pandemic.
“Dear Santa,” Jonah wrote. “I don’t want anything for Christmas, but I would like to ask you if you can do me a favor: Can you please find a cure for Covid-19 and give it to us to save the world. Thank you.”
The Postal Service helps fulfill Christmas wishes
Post offices worked with volunteers who agreed to “adopt” letters from needy children and send them items on their wish lists.
Children open up to a figure like Santa because he’s seen as a helpful, trustworthy person who spreads joy, says child psychologist Avital Cohen, founder of Peachtree Pediatric Psychology in Atlanta.
“What I read in these letters is that kids really are thinking about the needs of their parent or the world and not just their own desires this year (though of course some kids are asking for the gifts they want this year, which is to be expected!),” Cohen said in an email to CNN.
“Mr. Rogers is known for saying look for the helpers in scary situations — this is our chance to be the helpers and have our kids be the helpers, even in small ways.”
Since October children and adults in the US this year have sent more than 10,000 notes and cards to Santa — many of them reflecting the year’s hardships, said Kimberly Frum, a spokeswoman for the USPS.
“2020 has seen its share of challenges affecting individuals and families in so many ways. Covid-19 resulted in job losses, temporary unemployment and sadly, the loss of family and friends,” Frum said in an email to CNN.
“The program has always been about providing holiday gifts for families who may not have the means to provide for anything more than basic everyday needs. This year, there are likely more families impacted financially and emotionally.”
Most of the letters to Santa have already been adopted by donors, Frum said. Postal workers will continue uploading new letters through December 15.
Many kids’ letters reflect the reality of life in 2020
But the sentiments in many of their letters aren’t quite like normal.
A Texas girl named Kimberly, 13, is not unlike many kids in asking Santa for AirPods. But she also pleaded for gifts for her three siblings and for her money-strapped parents: a workout machine for her mom and a waterproof jacket for her stepdad.
Nine-year-old Alani asked for some Legos and a gift card for her mom. She drew a smiling girl with curly hair standing with Santa — a cheery scene that belied the plaintive tone of her letter.
“Dear Santa this year has been rough … because of crona … my mom said she can’t get anything for me for christmas because she is not getting paid as much so she cannot aford anything,” she wrote.
Savannah, a girl from Massachusetts, included a confession and an apology.
Nhea, a girl in Florida, sounded a little more hopeful in her letter, which asked Santa if the pandemic has reached the North Pole.
“Is there covid where you are? If not I just want to tell you that you are lucky,” she wrote. “Dad says that even though he lost his job we will still find a way to celebrate.”
“I wish covid was over so we can hug,” he wrote.
