It was in 1962 that La Poste launched its traditional letter to Santa Claus. And at the time, the person who took on the role of responding to the children was not just anyone!
Every year since 1962, Santa Claus has sent his response to all the children who took the trouble to write to him. Indeed, the traditional letter to the man with the white beard has become a custom before the holidays. Road of the stars in the Far North or Street of Clouds in the North Pole… Whatever his address, the mail reaches him and he always responds, helped by his elves. But did you know that in 1962, Santa Claus was a very popular figure among parents?
It was in fact Françoise Dolto, the famous French pediatrician and psychoanalyst who revolutionized education by listening to children. It was therefore the sister of Jacques Marette, French Minister of Posts from 1962 to 1967, who took up her pen to make children happy. Indeed, unlike today, his standard letter was handwritten, with the added bonus of a pretty drawing of Santa Claus. His personalized message warmed the hearts of all the little recipients: “My darling child, your kind letter gave me great pleasure. I am sending you my portrait. You see the postman found me, he’s very clever. I received a lot of orders. I don’t know if I can give you what you asked for. I’ll try, but I’m very old and sometimes I’m wrong. You must forgive me. Be good, work well. I kiss you hard“. A letter which had the advantage of avoiding disappointment if parents did not buy ALL the gifts mentioned on the list.
For a little over 70 years, new technologies have taken over. Modern-day Santa Claus has now swapped his pen for his keyboard to respond to all the children who believe in him. In his letter version 2024, Santa Claus gives news of his reindeer who “have begun competitive training to successfully complete the thousands of kilometers of flight that await them during Christmas Eve”. But let the children rest assured: “the reindeer are far from panicking, on the contrary, they are impatient!”.
The generous old man also confides in what he loved doing so much when he himself was a child: “What I loved most when I was your age were guessing games with my great-great-grandfather, the very first Santa Claus. He was too strong. He taught me jobs and first names that no longer existed, and shared his memories before they escaped, these little pranksters! Listening to the stories of the ancients is like going far away on a journey because they have so much to teach us after these many years of looking at the world.“. Enough to encourage intergenerational exchanges and promote precious time between grandparents and their grandchildren.
These are the values that a famous singer wanted to convey. Because after Françoise Dolto and Michel Bussi last year, La Poste this year called on Olivia Ruiz to lend a hand to the French elves, who wish “the most magical Christmas” to all the children, promising to visit them very soon.