SANTA CLAUS, Ind. (WEHT) – The Santa Claus Post Office has chosen the special 2022 picture postmark for the upcoming holiday season.

Officials say on December 1, the post office will begin offering the picture postmark to cancel the postage stamps on holiday mail again this year. This special picture postmark has been offered every Christmas season since 1983. Each year, the holiday postmark is designed by a local high school art student as part of an annual contest, and this year’s artist is Macey Bolin.  

Postmaster Cheryl Bailey says, “Patrons from all over the world request the Santa Claus holiday postmark. Some drive into town to personally hand cancel their holiday mail with the famous picture postmark and others request the special postmark by mail. The famous Santa Claus postmark is a long-standing tradition for the town and it’s always fun to see the unique artwork each year.”

Bailey asks anyone interested in getting the special cancellation on their holiday mail to follow these guidelines:

  • Allow at least a two-inch by four-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 is available on working days between December 1 and 24
  • 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. These include reindeer food, snowflakes, glitter, stickers, among other items.
  • There is no charge for postmarking; however, there is a limit of 50 picture postmarks, or hand cancellations, per person per day.

Officials say the town of Santa Claus will host a celebration of family fun during the Christmas season. Special events and activities include Christmas Dinner with Santa, Writing a Letter to Santa, the Santa Claus Christmas Parade, weekday Santa Claus Flyer Train Rides, and more.

Find details on all upcoming events here. For information about Santa Claus Christmas Celebration holiday packages, call (888) 444-9252 or visit this website.