Santa Is Getting Ready To Send More Letters In Te Reo Māori Than Ever Before – Ka Pai!

NZ Post and Hana Kōkō (Santa) understand the importance of using more te reo Māori in our everyday lives and we are proud to be a part of a generation that is seeing a groundswell revival of our indigenous language.

For the fourth year, we’re offering once again the magical connection of writing to Santa and for Kiwi kids to receive replies from Santa in te reo Māori and English.

NZ Post’s Te Kai a te Rangitira founding member Heremia Nikora says “we absolutely love being able to be a part of the magic that Christmas brings and being a part of Kiwi kids’ experience of writing to Hana Kōkō.”

“We’ve sent hundreds of responses in te reo Māori over the past few years and in 2021, we delivered more letters on Santa’s behalf than ever before” Heremia says.

Last year NZ Post responded to almost 100,000 letters to Santa in both te reo Māori and English, and this year we’re looking forward to helping Hana Kōkō receive these responses and deliver replies to even more children this year. Messages can be sent online using our interactive website or by post.

The interactive website allows children to send Santa an online letter– as well as having special access to Santa’s Ho Ho Homepage, where kids can read Santa’s emails, play games, listen to North Pole FM and browse Santa’s holiday snaps too.

To make and send a digital postcard, visit www.nzpost.co.nz/writetosanta

The deadline for website requests for personalised postcards from Santa delivered in the post is Monday, 28 November. From then, all online messages received by Santa up until 5.00pm, Thursday 22 December will receive an email response. Email responses take 24 hours from when your online letter is sent.

If you would like your classroom to receive a postcard from Santa this year, please visit our website www.nzpost.co.nz/teacherswritetosanta to request by Monday, 14 November.

The last day for posting handwritten letters to Santa to receive a reply in the mail is Friday, 2 December, however these are not personalised, and we would encourage using the website for a more fun, interactive and personalised experience.

The Freepost address for handwritten letters is

Santa Claus

c/- Santa’s Workshop

North Pole 0001

NZ Post has been delivering Christmas to New Zealanders for almost 180 years, and we can’t wait to deliver again this year.

About Te Kai a te Rangitira

NZ Post’s Māori Leadership programme – Te Hononga graduates know that some of our whānau don’t have the tools or confidence pronounce te reo Māori correctly and they are committed to empowering people to step up and support each other in learning and growing te reo Māori with their rōpū, Te Kai a te Rangitira – Food of the Chiefs.

© Scoop Media