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emailSanta.com is a Christmas-themed entertainment website run by Alan Kerr which simulates emailing Santa Claus. It also provides various other Christmas-themed simulations. Users compose their letter by filling out a blank form, then the website responds with a computer-generated letter which claims to be from Santa Claus. The site also includes a simulated video call for users to "see Santa live", where a pre-recorded video of an actor would be shown prior to the reply letter. From the website's inception, letters which contain pleas for help were directed to a special page, which lists online resources for assistance and counselling helplines. In extreme circumstances, the police have also been contacted.
History
When a 1997 Canada Post workers strike prevented their volunteers from responding to his niece and nephews letters to Santa Claus, Kerr created emailSanta.com as an online alternative. During the first two weeks of the site's existence, emailSanta.com received over 1,000 emails.
In 2011, the website was incorporated in Alberta, Canada as emailSanta.com Inc.
In a 2021 letter to the Search Engine Journal, Kerr noted the declining traffic of his website. However, Kerr reported that traffic increased by 35% following another Canada Post strike in 2024.
Reception
emailSanta.com has received mixed reviews from a variety of sources. Both Kerr and the website have received compliments and praise from TheStreet and Mamamia. It has also been noted for teaching children about the importance of online safety. In 2002, Wired reported that Mummert Consulting, a German market-research company, had been evaluating Santa websites and that "the top site on the list was EmailSanta.com" for two years, specifically citing the personalization that kids receive in response.
Criticism
On Christmas Eve in 2013, Nicholas Tufnell from Wired stated that "he design leaves a lot to be desired (it's very late 1990s), but it's perfectly functional". He sent an email through the website and noted that "he response is pleasant enough, if a little vague. It may excite children, but we're not convinced." He also remarked that the email came across as "obsequious", while the website's practice of having Santa type out "*wink*" was "unsettling".
References
- Newsweek Staff (November 28, 2004). "How do you E-Mail the Big Man?". Newsweek.
- "Calgary Santa receives wishes and cries for help in emails from around the world". Calgary Herald. Retrieved 2020-08-20.
- Depalma, Anthony (November 26, 1997). "Weeklong Postal Workers' Strike Snarls Deliveries in Canada". New York Times.
- Braid, Don (December 8, 1998). "Internet Santa rekindles magic". The Calgary Sun. p. 4.
- "Meet the People Who Respond to Emails to Santa Claus". www.vice.com. 23 December 2015. Retrieved 2020-08-19.
- Baird, Kirk (December 13, 2004). "He's Got Mail: Kids find that e-mailing Santa is more fun than using snail mail". Las Vegas Sun.
- Wright, Tony (2021-12-08). "Is Google Trying To Erase Santa? The Curious Case Of EmailSanta.com". Search Engine Journal. Retrieved 2022-12-26.
- Brennan, Noah. "Calgary-based Santa emailing website sees renewed interest amid postal strike, founder says". Calgary Herald. Post Media. Retrieved 6 December 2024.
- Brownell, Matt. "The Best Ways to Get a Hold of Santa". The Street. TheStreet, Inc. Retrieved 22 December 2011.
- "This is how my kids email Santa and get a reply. And it's free". Mamamia. December 8, 2017.
- O'Brien, Ciara. "EmailSanta.com puts kids in touch Tech tools: Website allows youngsters to contact Santa Claus while also educating them on internet safety". Irishtimes.com. The IrishTimes. Retrieved 15 December 2022.
- Kettmann, Steve. "Dear Santa: You've Got E-Mail". Wired.com. Condé Nast. Retrieved 30 November 2002.
- Tufnell, Nicholas. "Don't email Santa, it's disappointing". Wired. ISSN 1059-1028. Retrieved 2024-04-26.
