‘Don’t forget hand sanitizer in the sleigh’: Children’s letters to Santa reflect COVID-era Christmas

Santa’s mailbox — newly repainted in 2020 — stands ready for letters at 5th and Bell. (Photo by Larry Vogel)

From no-contact Santa photos to automated daily lighting of the community tree, COVID-19 has impacted a range of holiday activities in Edmonds. Fortunately for local children, one important tradition continues: They can still leave letters for Santa in the bright red mailbox outside the downtown Edmonds log cabin at 5th Avenue North and Bell Street.

It should come as no surprise, however, that the pandemic has influenced the content of letters to Santa this year. Chief Elf Elena Umeno oversees all Santa correspondence that comes into the Edmonds Santa mailbox. She said many children have questions about the health and safety of all those who work at the North Pole.

“They want to know if it (COVID-19) is affecting the elves and whether Santa is healthy and will stay safe,” Umeno said.

Kids also offer health advice — “Don’t forget your hand sanitizer in your sleigh” — and assurances that they are thinking about Santa’s safety: “I’ll leave hand wipes out by the cookies.”

Umeno said that she and her helpers have also tailored their responses this year to reflect Christmas in the time of coronavirus. For those worried about elf safety, “We tell them that Mrs. Claus had masks made that match all of the wrapping paper,” she said.

Chief Elf Elena Umeno stands in front of the mailbox in 2014. (File photo by Larry Vogel)

Another trend Umeno is noticing this year: Children are not just making gift requests for themselves, but are also including other family members. “They might say, ‘Mom said she really wanted a new apron.’ Or ‘my nana remembers when you brought her gifts,’ and they are asking for grandmothers, listing wishes of the family a little bit more,” Umeno said.

Any particular reason for this shift? Perhaps, due to the pandemic, “more parents are (spending time at) home and so kids are more thoughtful than they have been in past,” Umeno said.

The Santa mailbox is maintained by the Edmonds Chamber of Commerce, and Umeno – who also works at Starbucks — has served as chief self since 2014. She also has extra elves as helpers, including her sister, Elf Olivia Hutton. Even their mother pitches in. “It’s super, super fun,” Umeno said.

The mailbox receives between 800-1,300 letters each year. In 2019, the elves answered almost 1,000 letters. Any child who drops a letter in the box by Dec. 17 is guaranteed a personal reply from Santa, signed in sparkly green ink, in an envelope postmarked from the North Pole.

A Santa letter and envelope tempoarily intercepted before mailing.

To ensure you receive a reply, you must include your home address. “Santa only knows what your rooftop looks like, he doesn’t know your house number,” Umeno said.

All those who help with Santa replies are volunteers, and it’s an effort that takes several hundred hours during the holiday season, she said.

“It’s definitely a lot of work. It’s a second full-time job,” she said, adding that volunteeres are “paid in holiday cheer.”

The Edmonds Chamber of Commerce covers the cost of stamps, envelopes and stationery, and Chamber President and CEO Greg Urban credited the support of several premium members – along with a Hubbard Family Foundation grant – for enabling the activity to continue. (You can see a list of all chamber premium supporters here.)

Amid the stress of the pandemic, Umeno said she’s happy to be able to continue the tradition.

“It’s one of the only things that’s somewhat normal,” she said.

— By Teresa Wippel

 

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