For children, one of the most magical aspects of the holiday season is receiving gifts from loved ones. Their faces light up like the bulbs on a tree when they find beautifully wrapped boxes and bags waiting for them on Christmas morning.
And every child deserves to experience the joy of the holiday season, whether their parents can afford to play Santa or not. But are adults entitled to the same treatment? Below, you’ll find a conversation that raised some eyebrows on Reddit recently, after a woman admitted that she requested gifts for herself through the USPS Operation Santa program.
The holiday season is a great time to show our love for others through gift giving
Image credits: Andrea Piacquadio / Pexels (not the actual photo)
But because not every family can afford presents, the USPS has an Operation Santa program that allows those in need to request gifts from anonymous “Santas”
Image credits: Irina Iriser / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Now, one woman who sent a letter is complaining because she didn’t get everything on her wish list
Image credits: Critical_Parsley_121
Later, the woman shared some details about the gifts she requested and received
Some readers argued that the program is not just for kids, but others disagreed
Image credits: Marina Abrosimova / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Operation Santa has been around since 1912, providing countless kids with gifts they would not have otherwise received
As adults, we understand that the holiday season is about so much more than giving and receiving gifts. But for young children, this can be hard to understand, especially when they’ll see peers receiving brand new video game consoles and roller blades. We adults can’t help but want to give little ones the most magical Christmases we possible can.
That’s why the USPS created the Operation Santa program. This program has been around since 1912, but has only been open for participation nationwide since 2020. According to the Operation Santa website, the whole process only takes a few simple steps. On September 18th, the mailroom starts accepting letters to Santa. Then on November 6th, registration opens for those who wish to adopt letters.
On November 20th, adopters can start reading letters and choosing requests to fulfill, and writers have until December 11th to send in their wishes. And finally, December 18th is the last call for adopters to act as Santas and get their gifts in the mail to ensure they arrive before the 25th.
Image credits: Julia M Cameron / Pexels (not the actual photo)
The program’s website states that families, organizations and classrooms can participate as well
As far as who is allowed to participate in the Operation Santa program, the USPS notes that participants can “help Santa fulfill the hopeful requests of children and families.” And in their tips for writing a letter, they address that families may be asking for gifts together, as well as organizations and/or classrooms. For example, a teacher may ask for new markers for her entire class.
In fact, the website even addresses whether or not the program has an age limit. “You’re never too young or old to believe in the magic of the season!” the USPS writes. “We realize that younger children or elderly adults may not be able to write themselves, so it’s okay for the parent, guardian, teacher or caregiver to assist in writing.”
While this program does not explicitly state that adults aren’t allowed to ask for gifts, children are certainly more likely to believe in Santa, and it is arguably more important for little ones to experience the magic of the season than adults. That’s why programs such as this are so great for the kids who get to benefit from them. According to a study by Credit Karma, 39% of Americans said they were unable to afford gifts during last year’s holiday season.
Image credits: Karolina Grabowska / Pexels (not the actual photo)
Many parents can’t afford to purchase Christmas presents without the help of programs like this
Many also had to make sacrifices to ensure they could put gifts under the tree, with 32% sacrificing their savings, 24% skipping traveling, 20% choosing not to put up holiday decor and 19% decided not to host holiday events to save money. A whopping 70% even admitted that they were planning to take on debts to ensure their families had a magical Christmas.
Of course, giving gifts is not only a burden for families in the United States. In recent years, the pandemic and inflation have hit nearly every nation brutally hard. Big Issue reported that in 2020, 1 in 5 children in the UK wouldn’t even be able to receive a Christmas present, and over half of parents were concerned about how they were going to afford Christmas in general.
While the holiday season is a special time for many reasons, there’s no denying that it feels great to make a child’s day by giving them the present of their dreams. Or, perhaps even a 30-year-old’s day? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below, pandas. Then, if you’re interested in reading another Bored Panda article discussing Christmas gifts, look no further than right here.
Many readers called out the woman for requesting gifts in the first place, noting that children deserve the presents more
source https://www.boredpanda.com/grown-woman-disappointed-gifts-underprivileged-children-program/
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