AUSTIN, Texas — Texas is far from the North Pole but one Austinite is bringing a little bit of that Christmas magic back to the Lone Star State. 

  • Started with acquisition of a festive mailbox
  • People began dropping letters off in it 
  • George now ensures letters from Santa get to Austin children

“Christmas is in each person’s heart, and it’s the enjoyment that you receive or the enjoyment that you receive because you do something for somebody else,” said George, who asked that we not use his last name for privacy reasons. 

For the past 13 years, the holiday season has been George’s favorite time of the year, and beginning in the late fall, his home is covered with Christmas decorations. But last year, he spotted something that would take his setup to the next level. 

“The mailbox was found last year, and when I saw it, I had had to have it because I wanted another decoration,” said George. “And I think it was maybe two days later somebody stopped by and said, ‘Can my grandkids drop letters in there?’ I said, ‘Yes, they can,’ never thinking about what was going to happen.”

George’s decorative lawn appears in this image from December 2019. (Niki Griswold/Spectrum News)

This year, George knew he couldn’t let the letters go unanswered, so he’s been making sure that all of the letters dropped off in this magical mailbox make it to the North Pole.

After Santa writes responses to the letters, George mails them back to the children.

“To see what the parents write has made it worthwhile. I don’t care what happens, I will sit there and mail all these letters you want me to mail out, I’ll hand deliver, whatever it takes. But I just cannot explain the joy because of what these people that received these letters have said. The surprise, the enjoyment their children have gotten,” said George. 

But it’s just as enjoyable for George, who gets to read the letters kids write before they’re passed on to Santa. 

“I think my most favorite one is this one I have right here which I just have been reading again,” said George. “Now, I’ll read you the lette: ‘Dear Santa, I have a problem. I can’t sleep in my bed by myself because I feel like there’s something in there with me and I am scared of the dark. So do you have any ideas? Thank you.’”

A child’s letter to Santa Claus appears in this image from December 2019. (Niki Griswold/Spectrum News)

George also loves reading Santa’s responses, before he mails them. 

“ ‘I understand about the sleeping problems. And I used to feel the same way.’ Now this is the person who wrote this talking to him,” said George. “‘I’m going to send you a special coin. You place it underneath your pillow before you go into bed. This will keep all the bad ones away and help you sleep.’ The coin that they gave me to put in this is a gold colored coin, which is going to be special for him. In each, each of these letters after the letters are written, they’re given to me. And if they’re on the nice list, they get a coin [which] says, ‘I was caught being good.’”

As much joy as the job brings him, it’s really about the joy it brings to others. 

“Hahaha! It’s so much fun! Each letter I have seen so far, each letter is different. There’s not any two the same,” said George. “The biggest thing about this is the children, no matter what their ages are from a baby all the way up to 99 years old, which I have met people at that age that enjoy Christmas. But it’s the enjoyment and watching people, their enjoyment, which makes it worthwhile.”