Dear Elf Ernest,

My Dad will not let me get the mail from the mailbox anymore. He says that bad people are sending things in the mail to people that can get you sick. On television they are showing people who got hurt that work for the post office. Does Santa still want us to send letters this year or is he afraid that bad people will get him sick too?

Love,

Becky Simmons Age 9
Payson, Utah

Dear Becky,

Santa would be heartbroken if you didn't send him a letter this year. By all means, send him your letter!

As the elf in charge of the mailroom here at the North Pole, I can tell you that we are very worried about the things people send us. We have been for years. Believe it or not, bad people have used the mail for a long time to send bad things to Santa. It is nothing new. We're sad to know that people around the world are getting bad things in their mail now too. You are wise to listen to your Dad and to handle the mail just like he tells you.

But let me put your mind at ease on this question. You know how Santa "knows when you are sleeping, and he knows when you're awake"? That ability is also something we use when we handle the mail. Santa just knows when something is good or whether it is bad. So if you, Becky, send him a letter, he will know it is good. And he will most definitely be safe.

Remember these important rules when writing to Santa: first, draw pictures when you send letters to Santa. He loves them because they make him smile and laugh. Plus, he shares those pictures. He takes them to the Old Elves rest home and puts them on the walls for the folks there. It really makes their day when Santa shows up with new pictures kids have drawn and sent to him.

Second, while it is okay to spell everything perfect and to make sure your grammar is correct, Santa doesn't really want you to worry too much about it. If it is a concern to you, show your letter to your schoolteacher or to one of your parents and get some help. But Santa understands that many of you are still learning all the rules and whether or not your letter is technically perfect has no bearing on what Santa will or will not bring you for Christmas!

While Santa always prefers handwritten letters, given the concerns of this year you can email Santa your letters. He would still like to see it in writing because, well, Santa's an old fashioned kind of guy. But if it makes you feel better, then ask your folks to let you use the computer to send your letter.

As always, understand that Santa doesn't really have time to answer every letter. But he reads each one very carefully.

Thanks for writing, Becky. We hope you keep it up!