SANTA CLAUS, Ind. (WISH) — A beloved holiday tradition is back in Santa Claus, Indiana. The special Santa Claus holiday postmark is now available at the small-town post office. 

The Santa Claus Post Office is famous as the only one in the world with the Santa Claus name. Employees say it receives more than 400,000 pieces of mail in December – compared to only 13,000 pieces of mail per month the rest of the year.

The Santa Claus Post Office has offered a unique Santa-themed postmark every holiday season since 1983. Each year, local high school students are given the opportunity to design the picture postmark for use on Christmas cards and other mail from the Santa Claus Post Office.

This year’s artist is Aubrey Harpe. She is now graduated from high school and is a freshman at the University of Southern Indiana.

“Each year, patrons from all over the world request the celebrated Santa Claus holiday postmark. Many drive into town in order to hand cancel their holiday mailings personally with the renowned picture postmark; others request the special postmark by mail. The endearing Santa Claus postmark is a long-standing tradition for our town, and it contributes to the charm of the spirit each season,” Postmaster Joshua Graham said in a press release.

“It is exciting and fun to see the unique artwork each year, and it is an honor for this office not only to select an artist’s contribution, but also to provide this service for the public.”

The 2024 postmark is only available in Santa Claus, Indiana, through December 24. 

If you’re interested in getting the special cancellation on your holiday mail, 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 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.

The town of Santa Claus is also celebrating the holiday season with festive events during the first three weekends of December. Traditional events include the Santa Claus Christmas Parade, Christmas music at the Santa Claus Museum & Village, Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire at Santa’s Candy Castle, and more. 

You can find more event details here.