Trove Tuesday

As the Christmas season approaches, this week's Trove blog looks back at how mail has helped people connect with each other around Christmas time for decades.  Every Christmas, is seems, we are reminded by the Post Office to make sure we send our Christmas letters, cards and packages early to ensure their timely arrival.  In more modern times, we are also urged to complete our online shopping early to ensure delivery.

In the early twentieth century soldiers had limited ways to contact their family while serving their country. Christmas was a time they could sometimes send postcards or letters to their family to let them know they were safe and well, and perhaps receive letters or packages from home. During the Second World War Japan even agreed to let Prisoners of War send Christmas mail to their families.  During the First World War embroidered postcards became a popular item for soldiers to send to loved ones back home. These postcards were known as war silks and were especially popular around holidays like Christmas.  

Then there were children writing hopeful letters to Santa, assuring him they had been good and listing toys and gifts they hoped to receive, many promising to leave out a snack for Santa and his reindeer when they visited.

The National Library of Australia holds a letter to Santa from award-winning author Patrick White in their collection. He was six years old at the time of writing.  The letter reads, “Dear Father Xmas. Will you please bring me a pistol, a mouth organ, a violin, a butterfly net, Robinson Crusoe, A History of Australia, some marbles, a little mouse what runs across the room. I hope you do not think I am too greedy but I want the things badly. Your loving Paddy”  

Perhaps the most famous letter to Santa comes from New York newspaper The Sun’s 1897 editorial featuring 8-year old Virginia O’Hanlon. Some of her friends had told her Santa wasn’t real, so she wrote to the paper to ask:  ‘Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?’  

The response penned to Virginia was so moving that it has continued to be printed in global newspapers for decades.  “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there was no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias.”  One such version of the article was published in the 18 December 1926 edition of Sydney's The World’s News.