# So where did my lost piece of mail most likely go?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-did-my-lost-piece-of-mail-most-likely-go/384071>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [December 14, 2006, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-did-my-lost-piece-of-mail-most-likely-go/384071 "2006-12-14T03:58:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/f0a364/32.png) [@Rube\_E.Tewesday](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rube_E.Tewesday)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-did-my-lost-piece-of-mail-most-likely-go/384071/41 "2006-12-18T02:18:50Z")

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[QUOTE=Sapo]  
please provide (and quickly!). 🙂

at any rate, I just learned that there is a town by the name of North Pole in Alaska (near Anchorage, Google map it). They will reply to any mail they receive that has a return address. The USPS will even send there unstamped mail.  
[/QUOTE]

Just send a letter to:

Santa Claus  
North Pole  
Canada  
H0H 0H0  
Probably, though, if you mail now, you’ll get a letter back after Christmas, gently suggesting you write earlier next year.

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**Author:** ![TheLoadedDog](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/35a633/32.png) [@TheLoadedDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheLoadedDog)\
**Post date:** [December 18, 2006, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-did-my-lost-piece-of-mail-most-likely-go/384071/42 "2006-12-18T14:34:06Z")

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Various postal administrations around the world provide a Santa service.

In Australia, you can send a letter to Santa, North Pole 9999 with a standard stamp and you will get a reply from the bearded guy.

I suspect most letters “Santa” gets are pranks. I sent one on behalf of my boss one year.

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**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2006, 12:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-did-my-lost-piece-of-mail-most-likely-go/384071/43 "2006-12-19T00:13:12Z")

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[QUOTE=BobT]  
There is also a note that the letter went to the “Nixies”. I have horrible handwriting, but I think this is the first time, I’ve ever had a letter go there.  
[/QUOTE]

My letter carrier husband says he knows this as a postal shorthand for requiring a better address (if I understood his explanation right).

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**Author:** ![BobT](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e8cbc/32.png) [@BobT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BobT)\
**Post date:** [December 19, 2006, 2:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-where-did-my-lost-piece-of-mail-most-likely-go/384071/44 "2006-12-19T02:37:25Z")

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The weird thing is that the Post Office had delivered something to that same address before. With the same error.

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