Hi everyone!

It’s me! Santa Claus. I’ve asked Elf Ernest if he would allow me to write this month’s update. I know this is very unusual. But I have good reasons for wanting to speak directly to you at this time.

Last month, April of 2020, I received more mail at the North Pole Post Office than I did all of last December.

I love getting your letters.

But to be honest with you it is very, very out-0f-the-ordinary to get so much mail in April.

Actually, April is usually the month of the year when I receive the fewest letters.

So why so many letters? Well, I think you know: it’s this virus thing that is bothering everybody.

Now, listen: I want you know that everything is going to be okay. For all the many years where I’ve traveled the world we have seen viruses like this before.

And do not forget, we have had our own issues with viruses here at the North Pole every now and then too. Do you remember the last time the Bah Humbug virus struck the North Pole? Good golly, that was seven or eight years ago. It was a tough Christmas for the North Pole but if you recall everything worked out okay in the end.

That’s exactly what is going to happen with this coronavirus now sweeping the world.

Your letters are asking all the right questions. You are concerned about whether Christmas will happen. You are worried that I maybe won’t be able to visit in your country. Some of you are asking if the virus has affected the North Pole yet.

Well, relax.

No, the virus has not affected us yet. We have not had one single case. Perhaps all of our experience in dealing with the Bah Humbug virus has protected us from this new virus.

I really don’t know. I’m not a doctor, I’m just Santa.

But I can tell you this: the North Pole is not like a lot of large countries. We have a pretty small population. And the virus came about when not very many of us were traveling from the North Pole.

So, no — no virus here.

But if we did get the virus here we know what to do. We have dealt with it before.

We are learning what you and others around the world are doing. We are doing our very best to be careful and to work smart at the North Pole. We wash our hands a lot. We test for viruses regularly. We listen to our doctors and try to do all we can to stay healthy — just like you.

No matter what happens between now and Christmas I want you to know we will be prepared. I will be flying on Christmas Eve, just as I normally do.

In the meantime, we only have seven months to go until Christmas!

It’s just now getting to the very best time of the year. A month from now we will be celebrating Leon Day. We love Leon Day! I hope you can celebrate it with us.

Then we have Christmas in July — weeks of fun after we have passed the halfway mark to Christmas. I can tell you that Elf Ernest and the News Department are planning some special things for Christmas in July this year.

Before you know it we will be heading into the “ber” months, as some call them, and Christmas will be upon us.

Will you be back in school? Will it be safe to go to parks and shops and to play sports? Well, who knows?

I can tell from your letters that some of you are getting impatient with this whole virus thing. You don’t like all the changes that have come.

I want you to consider something.

Think about the last time you had this much time with your family. Perhaps you can’t go and do the things you normally do at this time of year.

But when was the last time you had your family with you every day during this time of the year? Do you enjoy them more, love them more? I’m hearing that yes, most of you do. That you are becoming closer to your family because you can’t spend time with friends, you can’t go on vacation, and you can’t spend every waking moment playing video games alone.

Remember, the best Christmases are the ones where things happened differently. This Christmas….think about your family…and how being with them ALL season long at Christmas will make this the best Christmas ever.

And think about us at the North Pole. Really, we’re like family.

We’re both interested in the same thing: having a Merry Christmas.

I encourage you to be positive. Look forward to this Christmas. Keep an eye on this website as we count down the days to Christmas. Participate in tracking Santa. Heck, some of you might even want to consider beginning your elf career by tracking Santa for ME. This is a great year to do it.

Keep sending me letters. I want to know what you think and how you feel. Right now, I know many of you are worried about Christmas.

Please don’t be.

It’s going to be a great Christmas. I promise.

love,