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2014 Santa Claus Postmark Selected

Posted on November 1, 2014



The Santa Claus, Indiana, Post Office has selected the 2014 special picture postmark for this Christmas season. On December 1, the post office will begin offering the picture postmark to cancel the postage stamps on holiday mail again this year. This famous small-town 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 per month the rest of the year. This special picture postmark has been offered every Christmas season since 1983. Each year, the holiday postmark is designed by a local high school art student as part of an annual contest. This year’s winner is Shyann Smith, daughter of Troy and Tammy Smith from Fulda, Indiana. As a 2014 senior at Heritage Hills High School, Shyann enjoys hunting, fishing, listening to music, and spending time with her family and friends. “The Santa Claus holiday postmark has become the most popular in the nation over the past two decades,” says Postmaster Marian Balbach. “Postal patrons worldwide request the picture postmark each year and many customers traditionally drive hundreds of miles to personally obtain the famous cancellation on their holiday mail.” She asks that 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, Santa Claus Station, 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. Watch this brief video interview with the artist, Shyann Smith, Art Teacher Kim Brown, and Postmaster Marian Balbach to learn more about the tradition of the town’s holiday postmark. America’s Christmas Hometown: Santa Claus, Indiana, will host a celebration of family fun on the first three weekends of December. Events include a traditional Christmas Dinner with Santa; Santa Claus Land of Lights, a 1.2-mile drive through Lake Rudolph Campground & RV Resort; Santa Claus Arts & Crafts Show; Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire; and more. For more information about the Santa Claus Christmas Celebration, call (888) 444-9252 or visit www.SantaClausInd.org/Christmas.