By Emily R. Zarevich, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Should a cherished children’s tradition be interrupted by the conflicts of adults? The Burlington Public Library has decided that it should not. In the month of November 2024, the Burlington Public Library announced on their website that they will be continuing their Letters to Santa program despite the nationwide Canada Post strike that has been ongoing since November 15, 2024.
Each of the six library branches in Burlington has put out a special red mailbox for this purpose. Families, as an enjoyable Christmas-themed activity this holiday season, are invited to bring their children to any of the libraries to get the task of letter-writing done. Children will be offered letter templates and pens and pencils so they can write to Santa Claus at the North Pole, report on their good behaviour throughout the year, and request a special list of gifts. The Burlington Public Library has taken measures to ensure children receiving a reply doesn’t depend on Canadian national politics.
“At present, we are continuing to mail the letters in the hope that an agreement will be reached, ending the strike. While less magical, we do have a backup plan in case the postal strike continues,” says Krista Schwab, marketing and communications manager at the Burlington Public Library. “BPL will offer the option for parents and caregivers to stop by a branch and pick up a non-personalized response letter so that kids can receive a reply before the holidays. We will communicate this option if we need to act on it.”
A letter to Santa is children’s literature that actually comes directly from the hands of children. Since the Victorian age, with the rise of Christmas as a cultural phenomenon in the West, children have voluntarily composed letters to the jolly bearded man in red as a means for practicing their alphabet and getting their voices heard by an adult with the power to grant them what they want. It can even be argued that a letter to Santa is a budding writer’s first persuasive essay. They have to convince Santa that they’ve earned the presents they’re asking for, with a year’s worth of general good conduct. It is a treasured activity in a child’s education.
“While the focus of the Letters to Santa campaign is to inspire joy and to build a sense of community, writing these letters, whether by a child or with their caregiver, supports early literacy skills by helping children recognize the sounds and meanings of letters and words,” says Schwab on how writing a letter to Santa Claus impacts a child’s developing literacy.
Letter writing has become something of an obsolete skill as the educational system transitions to teaching students more digital means of communication. There are resources for parents to consider if their children are having difficulty approaching how to write a letter, and the solution itself can be digital. Parents and children can go online for instructional material or even consult YouTube tutorials on how to write a letter to Santa. The Burlington Public Library has public computers that can be accessed with a library card.
Unlike the Letters to Santa program, several library services have been suspended due to the library’s inability to receive or distribute mail. Interlibrary loans, physical copies of new issues of magazines, and mailed customer notices will not be available for the duration of the strike.
Letters to Santa envelopes can be dropped off at any of the following library branches: Aldershot, Alton, Brant Hills, Central, New Appleby, and Tansley Woods. Letters will be accepted until December 5, 2024.
