Every year thousands of children from various countries write wish lists to the Christ child. Up to 70,000 incoming letters Bavaria the only Natal post office in Himmelstadt, Lower Franconia. But what actually makes a bucket list? And what should children and adults avoid? Rosemarie Schotte, volunteer manager at the Natal post office, has tips:
What’s definitely on the bucket list?
This wish could of course be in the form of toys, health for yourself and your family, or even a wish for the war in Ukraine to end quickly. But children can also share their worries with the Christ Child.
“It’s really important to us that kids don’t forget the sender,” Schotte said. A first name is not enough. Sometimes letters come with a sender: Maria in Berlin on the main street. “The Christ Child was helpless because the Golden Book, which contained all the addresses, had unfortunately been lost.”
Most importantly, Schotte asked parents to ensure that boys and girls do not forget their full addresses. “Otherwise, the child will be disappointed because he does not receive any news from the Christ child,” said the 84-year-old man.
Do the letters need to be decorated? Are spelling errors a problem?
No. “Everyone is doing what they can,” Schotte said. “Not everyone can paint well or create something great and ship it.” The important thing is that the letter is serious. However, if you want to make fun of the volunteers at the Christkind post office, it’s best to leave it at that.
The Christ Child doesn’t care about spelling mistakes or glue residue on the paper. Every wish list is answered, even if parents or grandparents help.
What’s not on the bucket list?
Basically, Christ Child is available to everyone – adults can also send their wish lists to Himmelstadt. However, anyone who wants a car or money is in the wrong place with the Christ child. “It’s just a harder job for us because we have to react a certain way,” Schotte explained. “It doesn’t have to be like that. “You have to take this matter seriously.”
What was the Christ Child actually doing in Lower Franconia?
Up to 40 Christ Child volunteers are working at the Christmas post office in the town hall of the small community in the Main-Spessart district in the run-up to Christmas. About 5,000 wishlists have arrived there this year – there will probably be tens of thousands by the end of December. The most stressful time has now begun for the hardworking people at the Christmas post office, boxes full of letters await a response.
Most children and adults receive a standard reply letter, as long as the sender of the wish list is known. In his own words, when he received such impressive letters and requests, Schotte also wrote a few lines personally.
When should the wish list be in Himmelstadt in order to get an answer before the festival?
The closer Christmas gets, the more letters the Christ Child receives. Schotte wanted letters from schools, kindergartens, and homes, which sent out a large number of wish lists at once, arrived in Himmelstadt on 15 December. For everyone: Anyone whose wish list arrives by December 17th will receive a response from Christ Child before Christmas Eve.
Children can also bring their wish lists to Himmelstadt in person. On the 1st of Advent – this year it was November 30th – the Christmas post office officially opened. Since 1986, the Christ child has answered letters from all over the world, even with a translator if necessary.
Himmelstadt is one of several Christmas post offices in Germany. If you want an answer from the Christ Child in Bavaria, you should address your letter “To the Christ Child, Kirchplatz 3, 97267 Himmelstadt”.
© dpa-infocom, dpa:251123-930-328198/1
