NORTH SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — A Utah family is helping Santa Claus during his busiest time of year by delivering letters to Father Christmas from their North Salt Lake front yard.
From shiny ornaments to glittering bows, it’s that time of year when halls are decked for the holidays.
For the Carpenter family, they adorn the front of their home with a bright red mailbox. But it’s not just for show, it serves a special purpose.
"You put a letter in and then it’ll go to Santa and you can get one back," neighbor Calvin Jackson explained.
For the last three years, the Carpenters have helped deliver letters to Santa Claus at the North Pole. It all started with the mailbox that began as an attraction to those curious passing by.
But this year, Sarah Carpenter has helped deliver more than 30 letters to Jolly Old Saint Nick. And they're not just from children embracing the Christmas magic, the letters also come from adults and the occasional family pet, too.
"This one is cute," Sarah reads. "It's actually from their dog, so it looks like they want their dog to have a letter from Santa, too."
The Carpenters' neighbors now have a vested interest in this merry tradition, chipping in time and money to make the mailbox weatherproof and allowing it to stick around for holidays and families.
"It just keeps Christmas feeling like Christmas," said Sarah Carpenter. "Yeah, it’s just fun."
