November 9, 2026, 9:41 am | Read time: 3 minutes
Where Santa Claus lives is likely well-known by now: in Rovaniemi, Finland, right on the Arctic Circle. However, it seems there are still many people who place him at the North Pole. At least, millions of letters to Santa are sent to the wrong address every year. This is a thorn in the side of the Finnish postal service, Posti. That’s why they have launched an initiative to clarify the global address mix-up and ensure the letters reach the right place.
This is already an interesting aspect of the story: Letters to Santa are indeed answered–though, of course, not all by him personally. At the main post office in Rovaniemi, a core team of six employees handles the Christmas mail year-round. During the peak season, the staff grows to about 20 people–and that’s apparently more than necessary. Or in other words: More would probably be needed! As reported by SRF, up to 30,000 letters arrive during the peak period. Per day!
And there could be significantly more if so many Christmas wishes weren’t sent to a wrong Santa address at the North Pole. And this is exactly where the Finnish postal service, called Posti, steps in.
Finland Brings Santa Letters Home
Posti has launched a coordinated campaign to ensure that worldwide Christmas mail is redirected straight to Lapland. For this purpose, mailboxes are being set up in places where the belief in the wrong address at the North Pole seems particularly persistent. These include London, New York, and Toronto, all popular travel destinations during the pre-Christmas season.
So if you spot a mailbox while strolling through Leicester Square that seems out of place, now you know what it’s about! Posti doesn’t provide specific details on what the “special Christmas mailboxes” look like, but they will surely be recognizable. You can also drop off unaddressed letters by December 15, 2026, which will then be reliably sent to Lapland.
It Is Definitely an Address Mix-Up
By the way, it’s not a matter of opinion where Santa Claus–whom we unfortunately can’t ask directly–lives. Rovaniemi has even secured the title of the official hometown of Santa Claus as a trademark. The European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) has granted the Finnish city the trademark “Official Hometown of Santa Claus.” Not only that: It even thwarted an attempt to have this revoked.
A Dutch freelance journalist applied for the cancellation of the registration in 2025. This was reported at the time by the Finnish newspaper “Yle News.” The man believed that since Santa Claus is a fictional character, he doesn’t need a fixed home. One might wonder why he developed such zeal in this stance… In any case, he couldn’t convince the responsible office of his argument. The trademark is registered by the EUIPO in the EU as well as in Norway, the United Kingdom, Japan, and the United States, among others.