Christmas Eve, 2026

[Child's Name]

[Street Address]

[City, State]

My dear [Child's Name],

Well! What a year you have had. The elves keep very careful notes up here, and yours came across my desk twice this month — once because you [something kind they did], and once because you [something else]. Those are exactly the sorts of things I like to hear about.

Mrs. Claus says I am not to spoil the surprise, so I will only say this: keep an eye on the tree, and do not shake anything that rattles. The reindeer are well fed and Rudolph has had his nose polished. Dasher, as always, insists he is the fastest, and I have stopped arguing about it.

Thank you for the cookies you left last year. The oatmeal ones were my favorite, and I ate rather more of them than I should have. If you leave a carrot this time, Blitzen will be very pleased with you.

With a great deal of love and a very merry ho-ho-ho,