When Norman and Marcelette Jackson put up their Christmas decorations last year, they were surprised to find real letters to Santa in one of their lawn props.
While hundreds of people pass their house each year to admire the decorations, a few apparently stopped to drop Santa a line in 2009.
“It’s amazing how the kids love it,” Marcy said. “I guess they think it’s really Santa’s mailbox.”
Norman first noticed the letters a year after they were written.
“When I took the mailbox down (in 2009)…I didn’t think anything about it,” Norman said. “But when I got it out for (2010) and plugged it in, it opened up and behold, there were letters from the children.”
While some of the writers’ wishes had been granted already – like those wishing for the Saints to win the Super Bowl – others had more touching and hard-to-fill orders.
One letter asked Santa to bring the child’s family a Chinese baby sister. Another child wanted their brother to meet Jesus and their dad in heaven for Christmas. And one child only wanted a visit from their father who was in jail at the time. “I really miss him,” the letter said.
“Some of them were asking for things that Santa Claus…would be the only person who would fill those wishes,” Norman said.
They couple said they have no idea who the children were who wrote the letters.
Norman added the mailbox to his already elaborate Christmas display on Barton Avenue three years ago.
“It kind of offsets the normal Christmas decorations – for kids, it’s all about Santa Claus,” he said. “I put it up never thinking that kids would put letters in there.”
Last year the Jacksons did not find any letters to Santa in their mailbox, but they continue to leave it out in case someone needs to mail something urgently to the North Pole.
“They’re more than welcome to put those letters in there if they want to,” Norman said.
They said that those who don’t have letters are still welcome to drive by and enjoy the light show on their lawn.
“Norman and I both love Christmas and we decorate hoping that as people go by our busy street, they’ll enjoy the lights,” Marcy said.
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