West Deer district judge will accept letters to Santa to spread holiday cheer

District Judge Tom Swan wanted to add some cheer to an otherwise depressing year.

That’s why he’s trading in his judge’s gavel for a Santa hat. Well, not really. OK, maybe a little.

Swan decided his West Deer court office would be the perfect place to accept letters to Santa Claus this year.

It’s nowhere close to Christmas, yet a large red and white mailbox with the words “Letters to Santa” and a tall Christmas tree are already set up and greeting people who come through the door.

“It has lights on it and everything,” Swan said of the mailbox.

Swan came across the mailbox and Christmas tree while shopping in January. Because it was after Christmas, decorations were on sale. He said the prices he was given for each were too good to pass up.

“I was thinking, ‘What do I do with it?’” Swan said. “I said, ‘Well maybe I can figure something out in the neighborhood ‘cause I usually have a Christmas party. Then, as covid hit, sometime in the summer, I was thinking, ‘Maybe, ‘cause everybody’s so miserable, maybe I can do it up here.’”

“It’s been a rotten year. It’s been all messed up,” Swan said. “So what better year? They can send their letters to Santa Claus right here.”

The mailbox will be available to good little girls and boys from Swan’s magisterial communities of West Deer, Hampton and Richland, and their school districts. People from outside Swan’s jurisdiction are welcome.

“I don’t care if they come from Nova Scotia,” Swan said. “Santa Claus is multi-jurisdictional.”

Swan said he put up the decorations early to help spread the word.

The official start date is Nov. 4. Collection will last through Dec. 18.

Legible return addresses should be included with the letters so children can get responses.

An employee with the Richland post office who responds to Santa letters will help Swan with his endeavor. The employee will help Swan answer any letters he gets and send them back, Swan said.

“I just talked to (the post office) briefly about it,” Swan said. “I might get one (letter), I might get 1,000. If I get 1,000 I’ll be totally panicked, and I’m going to take them over there and help her.”

U.S. Postal Service spokesman Tad Kelley on Tuesday said it’s still too early to discuss details of the collaboration.