Santas Claus Still Gets The Most Mail

Berne, Switzerland (AHN) -- Santa Claus still gets the most mail, according
to the Universal Postal Union (UPU). In 2006 Santa received more than six
million letters that are answered by postal workers in 20 countries.

Written by children and filled with the most fanciful wishes, these missives
are often addressed simply "To Santa, North Pole."

Normally regarded in postal jargon as "undeliverable" and stamped "addressee
unknown", this mail is collected, forwarded and answered by postal offices
in many countries.

Santa, in fact, has over five million helpers round the world to answer his
mail and deliver the millions of greeting cards, parcels and letters that
circulate during the holiday season, the UPU said, adding Santa's network
includes 660,000 post offices worldwide.

In 2006, Finland received letters from 150 countries (representing 90
percent of the letters received), France from 126 countries, Germany from 80
countries and Slovakia from 20 countries.

Canada Post replies to letters in 26 languages, Deutsche Post in 16
languages, and France this year specially recruited someone to answer the enormous
volume of mail from Russia.

In Ukraine, children who send letters by Jan. 10 automatically take part in
a lottery.