Christmas postmarks now available at Santa Claus, Indiana, post office

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- The special Santa Claus holiday postmark is now available at the Santa Claus Post Office in Santa Claus, Indiana.

The world-famous post office is the only one in the world with the Santa Claus name and receives over 400,000 pieces of mail in December, compared to only 13,000 pieces of mail a month during the rest of the year.

Each year, a local high school art student designs the holiday postmark as part of an annual contest.

This year's artist is Lilly Vance, daughter of Joe and Andie Vance of Lamar, Indiana. Lilly is now a first year student at Aurora University, where she is pursuing a graphic design degree.

The special picture postmark has been offered every Christmas season since 1983. It will be available starting Dec. 1 through Christmas Eve for no charge.

"Patrons from all over the world request the Santa Claus holiday postmark. Some drive into town to personally hand cancel their holiday mail with the famous picture postmark and others request the special postmark by mail," Postmaster Cheryl Bailey said in a written statement.

"The famous Santa Claus postmark is a long-standing tradition for the town, and it's always fun to see the unique artwork each year."

Santa Claus Indiana 2021 Postmark — Pictured: the 2021 holiday postmark available at the post office in Santa Claus, Ind. This year's image was designed by Lilly Vance, who is now a first year student at Aurora University.

Bailey asks anyone interested in getting the special cancellation on their holiday mail to follow these guidelines:

• Allow at least a 2-inch by 4-inch space in the stamp area for the picture postmark;

• Apply postage to cards or letters before bringing or mailing them to the post office;

• If you wish to mail Christmas cards to the post office, package them -- with postage stamps already on them -- in a sturdy envelope or box, and mail to: Postmaster, P.O. Box 9998, Santa Claus, IN 47579-9998;

• The picture postmark is available on working days between December 1 and 24;

• The picture postmark must be requested by the postal customer;

• To ensure a good postmark imprint, do not enclose large or bulky items in your holiday mail (Ex: reindeer food, snowflakes, glitter, stickers, etc.);

• There is no charge for postmarking; however, there is a limit of 50 picture postmarks (hand cancellations) per person per day.

According to a news release, the town of Santa Claus will host a celebration of family fun during the Christmas season. Special events and activities include: Christmas Dinner with Santa, Writing a Letter to Santa, the Santa Claus Christmas Parade, Christmas Fireworks, and more. More details about upcoming events are available at SantaClausInd.org/Events.