Dear Santa: Postal Service Deadline For North Pole

CARTERSVILLE, GA — If you have a special child in your life who would be thrilled to get a personalized letter all the way from the North Pole, you still have time to make their holiday wishes come true.

The U.S. Postal Service said the deadline to hear back from the jolly one is Dec. 13. That's the day your child's letter must be received in Alaska to get the much coveted "North Pole" postal stamp on a return letter to Cartersville.

"Santa Claus is imaginary? Not as far as your child is concerned — and the Postal Service can help you prove he's real when your child gets a personalized letter from the big guy — complete with a North Pole postmark," according to postal officials.

Here's how to make the holiday magic:

1. Have your child write a letter to Santa and place it in an envelope addressed to: Santa Claus, North Pole.
2. Later, when alone, open the envelope and write a personalized response. To save paper,write the response on the back of the original letter.
3. Insert the response letter into an envelope and address it to the child.
4. Add the return address: SANTA, NORTH POLE to the envelope.
5. Affix a First-Class Mail stamp, such as a new Winter Berries Forever stamp to the envelope.
6. Place the complete envelope into a larger envelope — preferably a Priority Mail Flat Rate envelope — with appropriate postage and address it to:

North Pole Postmark
Postmaster
4141 Postmark Drive
Anchorage, AK 99530-9998

"Santa's helpers at the Postal Service will take care of the rest," officials added.