I don’t need to tell anyone who lived through Black Friday that Christmas is rapidly heading our way. This weekend, I overheard many children asking for a certain toy, only to be told that they’d have to ask Santa for the item. So how does a child go about doing so? I don’t know about you, but I’ve never trusted the North Pole workers who sit in malls. Yes, I know that Santa sent them, and they are his trusted emissaries, but I’d prefer my wants and desires to go straight to the big man himself.

That’s why I like to communicate in writing with Santa Claus. I figure my good penmanship and polite letter will help Santa remember that I belong on the “nice” list, not the “naughty” one. When writing Santa, I always ask him how things are going at the North Pole, because it’s courteous to show interest in another person’s life. Sometimes I ask after Mrs. Claus or my favorite reindeer (I can’t tell you which one is my favorite here, as that will make the others jealous). Then, because Santa’s time is precious, I cut to the chase and tell him what gifts I’d like. This year, I’d like a new microwave (unfortunately, kids, when you grow up, your idea of “new toys” becomes somewhat boring). I always make sure to work “please” and “thank you” in there, and of course I mention that some cookies will be coming his way on Christmas Eve.

Now, at this point, I’d slap a stamp on my letter and mail it to Santa Claus, care of the North Pole. But this year, my ability to do so was thrown into jeopardy. Usually, the post office delivers letters addressed that way to North Pole, Alaska, where some of Santa’s volunteer elves would sort the mail and tell Santa about my Christmas hopes and dreams. They would even send mail back, complete with a North Pole postmark!

But earlier this month, the U.S. Postal Service announced it wouldn’t deliver those letters to Santa, for fear that sensitive information about children would get into the wrong hands (registered sex offenders trying to work as elves can ruin things for everyone). The elves and some Alaskan elected officials fought back against this decision, and the USPS reversed their decision on Nov. 20. If you want to send your letter to Santa, you can use this address: 1 Santa Claus Lane, North Pole, AK 99705, according to Time. The elves won’t have access to your last name or address, for privacy reasons, but Santa knows everything, so no worries there.

With all the confusion about snail mail to Santa this year, you might just want to conduct your correspondence with him online. Email Santa is just one site where you can send a free message to Santa (though be careful about giving out your e-mail or physical address — at Email Santa, these things aren’t required). I just e-mailed Santa, and he promised to take my requests of a microwave, a book and a 2010 calendar into careful consideration, though he did vow to check up on my claim of being so angelic this year.

So start working on your letters to Santa — after all, the clock’s ticking!

More holiday matters from HowStuffWorks:
Can Santa really climb down the chimney?
How does Santa make it around the world in one night?
Why is Rudolph’s nose red?