News / Letter from Father Christmas

Last year Letters Live asked several of its distinguished friends to write a letter to Father Christmas to help celebrate National Letter Writing Day (7^th December 2015).

The result was a post bag full of letters that made us all both laugh and cry. One of the most touching letters was written by the actor Benedict Cumberbatch, who asked Santa for a Christmas wish:

"This is what I’d like to ask you to help with. A little more time for children to be children. Stretch the moment of magic and playfulness. Distract them from the realities of a world gone mad so that they can laugh with their breath rather than sob with their tears. Especially those caring for family members, or suffering illness, hunger or poverty. Especially those hiding in buildings as bombs rain down, or being handed shaking with fear or cold into a boat to escape environmental disaster or war. Please help to light up their worlds with a moment of joy and hope."

Well, it has taken him the best part of a year but spurred on by this week's National Letter Writing Day (1st September), Father Christmas has finally written back to Benedict. You can read the Sherlock star's full letter below, as well as Father Christmas's reply.

p.s. Clearly Santa is a bit of a fan of Benedict's leading role...

"Dear Father Christmas,

So my friend has asked me to write to you... I have to confess it’s been hard to know what to say. Mainly because like most adults I feel preposterous asking anything of you because our time with you is surely done. Now we get our own presents, control our own fates, take responsibility for our own actions, and live in the world we have created... so it’s not for us to turn around and plead for your help with the environment, the migrant crisis, the NHS, education, food banks, human rights, fundamentalism and wars. Though God knows we need all the help we can get with all these man-made problems and more.

And it’s not that you aren’t compassionate and full of joy. You’re great. In spite of you being changed into different colours for corporations and being bastardised to represent materialism gone mad – despite probably originating in some season based pagan druid ritual a million thought miles from requests for spontaneously combusting hoverboards... Kidadults cynically pointing this out after having their moment of belief in you are wasting everyone’s precious time. Because you are not for them. You are for the children. Children who need some magic in a world were the borders between innocence and responsibility, playful imagination and cold, adult obstacles are continually shrinking.

This is what I’d like to ask you to help with. A little more time for children to be children. Stretch the moment of magic and playfulness. Distract them from the realities of a world gone mad so that they can laugh with their breath rather than sob with their tears. Especially those caring for family members, or suffering illness, hunger or poverty.

Especially those hiding in buildings as bombs rain down, or being handed shaking with fear or cold into a boat to escape environmental disaster or war. Please help to light up their worlds with a moment of joy and hope.

When I think about it you’ve got it tough this year... And when I really think about it I’m not sure that asking you for a lightsaber and getting one (not that I ever did by the way) is equatable with controlling the space time continuum and making the good of childhood last a little longer.

But you do inspire wonder and awe amongst those that write you letters and go to sleep hoping there might be a new object in their possession come dawn. You inspire good behaviour and, at least in my memory, some desperate last minute attempts to redeem bad behaviour so as not to be overlooked. Spare a thought too for those millions who want to write to you but through illiteracy can’t. Hear their words and help to give them the time and chance to learn how to read and write so they can better their lives and escape their impoverished beginnings.

I feel a little sorry for you. And I guess I’ve done exactly what I said I wouldn’t... Asked you to help with adult problems and solve some of the greatest worries we have for our children. I promise to leave some extra port and mince pies for you!

Lots of love

Benedict x

P.S. Please could I have that lightsaber now?"

The Easter Bunny and Father Christmas are firm friends. You heard it here first. In fact you could say they are pen pals. No Christmas at the North Pole is complete without a letter from the Easter Bunny finding its way onto Father Christmas's desk, wishing him good luck in the gigantic task awaiting him.

And we have heard that the Easter Bunny similarly looks forward to his letter ahead of the Easter celebrations. After all there's nothing quite like a reassuring word from someone who has been there, done that, got the t-shirt. 

So in time-honoured tradition, Father Christmas has put pen to paper and written his good luck note. Would you like to read it for yourselves? Of course you would. Here's a sneak peek:

Ninety-one days until Christmas Eve, and excitement is building at the Polar Post Office. The first flakes of snow are falling at the North Pole and there is a definite whiff of Christmas in the air. Store cupboards have been stocked and the elves at Polar Post are beginning to brace themselves for the flurry of letters that will soon be brought in from children all over the world.  

No wonder this is the date then that Geoffrey the Elf, Postmaster-in-Chief, has chosen to unveil the 2015 Christmas stamp. This year's design was presented to Father Christmas last night, and sources close to him have revealed that he is thrilled with the final result. 

And who can blame him? The First Class stamp features Sir Bastian, the North Pole's one and only penguin. Known to all at the North Pole as the most loveable of creatures, Sir Bastian said it was his great honour to have had his portrait taken by Drafts-Elf J. Russell Flint.

He did however, say that he wasn't in a hurry to wear a holly wreath again. Apparently it tickled his neck feathers something terrible... 

With much love from all of the elves at Polar Post xx