A Chat with Elf Hugo
Elf Hugo, postmaster at the North Pole Post Office, stopped in recently to North Pole Chat to talk about getting mail to Santa. Here is a transcript of that conversation:
| Elf Ernest | Folks, with us today is Elf Hugo, postmaster at the North Pole Post Office |
| Elf Ernest | He has a very big job, as you can imagine |
| Elf Ernest | He is here today to answer your questions and to explain how the North Pole Post Office works. |
| Elf Ernest | I have a number of questions that have been sent in, far more than I can really hope to get answered today |
| Elf Ernest | But we’re here to answer the questions of those who are here with us |
| Elf Ernest | So let’s begin there….who has a question for Elf Hugo? |
| Elf Ulan | I do! Lol |
| Elf Hugo | Go ahead, Elf Ulan |
| Elf Ulan | Thank you! Do you read all the wish lists before giving Santa? Elf Hugo? |
| Elf Hugo | Goodness, no. We have a team of elves who review them and sort them for Santa. And Santa has a team that also reviews them. But I personally do not do that work, no. |
| Elf Hugo | Right now, we are processing about 6,000 messages for Santa a day. That will go up by the MILLIONS come December. |
| Elf Ernest | How much of all that mail is electronic and how much of it is done by hand? |
| Elf Ulan | Okay, you mean don’t read them, but how to know if some wish lists are strange? |
| Elf Hugo | Most of it is electronic these days, which helps. Right now, I’d say about 90 percent of it comes off the website. The numbers change in December quite a bit though |
| Elf Hugo | Our teams of elves have seen every kind of message imaginable over the years. Yes, there are sometimes many strange requests for Santa |
| Elf Ernest | Strange requests….can you give an example? |
| Elf Ulan | Yes, please! |
| Elf Hugo | Well, yes. Santa once got a wishlist from a lady in Spain who wanted balloon rides for her cat. |
| Elf Ernest | Oh my. |
| Elf Ernest | What does Santa do with a request like that? |
| Elf Hugo | Well, Ernest…you know that not every child gets what they request. Or every adult for that matter |
| Elf Ernest | So when that happens, do you get mail complaining about what they DIDN’T get for Christmas? |
| Elf Hugo | Oh yes, of course that happens. |
| Elf Ernest | What happens to THOSE messages? |
| Elf Hugo | Oh, they go to Santa. We always deliver the mail to where it is addressed. That’s one of our rules. |
| Elf Ernest | Oh wow…you must see a lot of stuff. |
| Elf Hugo | Not as much as you think. We don’t read the mail unless we’re instructed to do so. Wish lists are something we have worked very hard to help Santa with for many years |
| Elf Ulan | If they send a strange wish, they are keeping out then? |
| Elf Ernest | Hugo, we have a lot of questions about Stocking Mail. Can you talk about that a bit? |
| Elf Hugo | Santa really is the one who decides what is a “strange” wish. Sometimes Santa knows things that explain a strange wish. |
| Elf Hugo | For example, we had a little boy once who asked Santa for a size 11 pair of work boots |
| Elf Hugo | Santa didn’t think that was a very fun gift and he met this little boy at a party before Christmas and asked him about it |
| Elf Ulan | Wow! |
| Elf Hugo | The boots the boy wanted were for an older brother who wanted a job but needed special boots to do the job. He didn’t have the money for the boots |
| Elf Hugo | Santa told me long ago to never scoff at a wish list |
| Elf Hugo | Sometimes Santa will work to get more of the story when a “strange” wish list comes in |
| Elf Hugo | If I’m being honest, the strangest requests come from adults, not children |
| Elf Ernest | Wow, that’s quite a story |
| Elf Ulan | I agree that, Elf Hugo |
| Elf Hugo | That’s part of the reason why I don’t want to get too deep into the wish list stuff. Santa knows what is going on and what to do about things. |
| Elf Hugo | Now, to your question about stocking mail – what do you want to know? |
| Elf Ernest | Why isn’t stocking mail available year round? |
| Elf Hugo | There are many reasons why stocking mail is only used at the last minute on Christmas Eve. |
| Elf Ulan | Okay, did you receive my wish list I sent last month? Lol |
| Elf Hugo | It has mostly to do with the fact that it isn’t perfect technology. |
| Elf Ernest | Is it technology or is it magic? |
| Elf Hugo | It’s technology and I can’t tell you more than that Ernest. We have to keep that information out of the hands of the wrong people. It’s very cutting edge |
| Elf Ernest | Wow, does that mean it’s dangerous? |
| Elf Hugo | Everything is dangerous if used the wrong way |
| Elf Ernest | Okay, fair enough |
| Elf Hugo | But for Santa’s purposes the technology isn’t perfect enough to use it on an everyday basis |
| Elf Hugo | I know that doesn’t make a lot of sense, but there are some things about it I just can’t share |
| Elf Ulan | Elf Hugo? |
| Elf Hugo | What people need to understand is that when stocking mail is engaged on Christmas Eve it moves information from the believer’s stocking directly to a special screen that is right in front of Santa, which is mounted on the dash of the sleigh |
| Elf Hugo | We don’t actually see the stocking mail in the North Pole Post Office. |
| Elf Ernest | Ah!!! I had no idea…. |
| Elf Hugo | Elf Ulan, did you send in a wishlist? I don’t actually keep track of them myself…. |
| Elf Ernest | I think our Christmas Eve users get confused by stocking mail because they don’t understand why their notes and messages never actually leave that stocking |
| Elf Hugo | Right, Ernest. They need to think of it like a scanner |
| Elf Ernest | So Santa doesn’t get the actual, physical paper the note is written on? He sees an image of it? |
| Elf Hugo | Right. |
| Elf Hugo | It’s not as complicated as people think |
| Elf Ernest | Does a lot of stocking mail come in? |
| Elf Hugo | Yes, by the millions. |
| Elf Ernest | How does Santa sort through all that while he’s flying a sleigh? |
| Elf Ulan | Maybe too many wishes, okay, thank you! But you told me that we can send the lists many times, right? Does it mean the last one or everything Santa knows? |
| Elf Hugo | The technology sorts it first by location, which is very different. Then it sorts it by user |
| Elf Ernest | How does Santa find time to even see it? |
| Elf Hugo | Elves |
| Elf Ernest | Elves…on the sleigh? |
| Elf Hugo | Not exactly elves on the sleigh…but there are lots of elves who assist Santa while he is in flight. The stocking mail team is just a small part of that |
| Elf Hugo | Elf Ulan, Santa sees EVERY wishlist. How he sorts the latest from the first, I’m not sure. But he sees every one of them |
| Elf Hugo | He knows you. |
| Elf Hugo | He knows your personality and your preferences. Long before you ever send in a wish list |
| Elf Hugo | Some of my favorite messages for Santa come from those people who thank him after Christmas who never sent him a wishlist |
| Elf Hugo | They always say, “Santa, how did you know?” |
| Elf Ulan | Amazing! |
| Elf Hugo | That’s because he’s Santa |
| Elf Hugo | He knows |
| Elf Hugo | Wish lists are important to Santa because Santa wants to know what is important to you. He doesn’t like guessing |
| Elf Ernest | Hugo…do you send a wishlist to Santa? |
| Elf Hugo | Yes, Ernest….every year! |
| Elf Ernest | So, because you work at the Post Office…do you push it to the front of the line? |
| Elf Ulan | I know one of them Santa did last year. I’m so happy to hear that! |
| Elf Hugo | Hahahaha – no, I only do that with YOUR wishlist |
| Elf Ernest | LOL |
| Elf Ernest | Hugo, we have a question about mail for Mrs. Claus…is there a lot of that? |
| Elf Hugo | Yes, she gets a lot of mail. |
| Elf Ernest | How is that handled? |
| Elf Hugo | It goes to her office staff and they help her with it. |
| Elf Ernest | Does she ever answer mail? I know Santa rarely has time to answer mail. |
| Elf Ulan | How about you, Elf Ernest? Do you send your wish lists? |
| Elf Hugo | Well, like many at the North Pole Mrs. Claus gets more mail than she could possibly answer |
| Elf Ernest | Yes, Elf Ulan. I send Santa one wish list every year. The day after Halloween, I send it. That’s my tradition |
| Elf Hugo | I know of a little girl who sends Santa a wishlist every month on the day of her birthday. She was born on the 12th of the month and every month on the 12 a new wishlist from her comes in |
| Elf Ernest | People have funny little traditions for getting messages to Santa |
| Elf Ulan | Interesting! Is it the same or different every year, Elf Ernest? |
| Elf Hugo | They really do. |
| Elf Ernest | My wishlist is much shorter than when I was a boy. |
| Elf Ernest | I once sent Santa a wishlist with 234 things on it. |
| Elf Ernest | He still teases me about that |
| Elf Hugo | Were you about 8 years old? |
| Elf Ernest | I was exactly 8 years old when I did that. How did you know? |
| Elf Hugo | That’s just the age. We can predict some things based on how old a person is. |
| Elf Ernest | Oh? Like what? |
| Elf Hugo | Well, if a woman is 30 years old, has children and sends in a letter to Santa, guess what she asks for? We know before we even open it. |
| Elf Ernest | I have no idea. What does she ask for? |
| Elf Hugo | Nothing. She just wants Santa to know she loves him. |
| sallywobbles | hi |
| Elf Ernest | Hello sallywobbles |
| Elf Ulan | Wow, you have many wishes, Elf Ernest! Lol |
| Elf Ernest | Hugo, thank you for your time today. Any last minute questions for Hugo? |
| Elf Ulan | Hello! |
| sallywobbles | what is you favorite thing a christmas? |
| Elf Hugo | Favorite thing? I love delivering the mail for Santa. It always makes him smile. |
| sallywobbles | cool |
| Elf Ernest | Ok, then. Hugo best of luck with all the mail coming in for Santa. I’m sure we’ll hear more from you on the radio as the season progresses |
| Elf Hugo | Thank you Ernest. Thanks Elf Ulan! Keep those wishlists coming! |
| Elf Hugo | Bye everyone! |
| Elf Ernest | Bye Hugo! |
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Hi there
I have a dog name GG
GG is 5 years old
I take a shower in the mornings
And also play with my dog GG
Thank you, Elf Winslow! Thank you, Elf Hugo and Elf Ernest! It was awesome. I’m happy to hear that both elf’s stories and Santa knows us well. He’s amazing! I’ll send another wish list too, later. I hope we can talk again soon! XD
I love christmas
I like winter and i love the cold