SOLIDARITY

'We will make a different Christmas,' Lula asks for help from the population in a campaign

The Santa Claus of Correios is a 34-year-old campaign that encourages people to “adopt” children's letters at Christmas

Translated by: Ana Paula Rocha

Brasil de Fato | São Paulo (SP) |
This year, people can participate in the campaign via the internet - Foto: Fabio Rodrigues-Pozzebom/ Agência Brasil

A traditional campaign by Brazil’s postal service, known as Correios, gives people the chance to make children’s wishes come true during Christmas. This year, it received the support of President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva (Workers’ Party).

In a video posted on Sunday (19), Lula called on people to “adopt” a letter and “make a different Christmas from 2023 on.”

The action “Santa Claus of Correios” has over three decades of history. According to the state-owned company, the idea started among Correios' servers, who received many letters from children asking for gifts due to the celebration date. The telegrams written by the kids themselves were addressed to Santa Claus.

Then, Correios created a campaign in which people could choose one of the letters and make a child’s wish come true. You can participate via the internet, click here to know more.

The company is responsible for sending the gifts donated.

This year, the campaign started on November 14. Donors can adopt a letter and send the gift until December 15.

According to Correios, the company received over 260,000 letters in 2022, but only about 187,000 were adopted.

“I hope the campaign will be a success because it’s sad not gaining a gift at Christmas, especially when children are fed by advertising on television, writing a letter to Santa Claus and hanging their socks who knows where. So, you keep imagining the children selling everything here on television, and parents knowing that they won't be able to buy something for the kid”, stated the president.

In the video, Lula recalled his childhood in the city of Santos, São Paulo state. According to the president, Santos City Hall distributes gifts at Christmas.

Edited by: Monyse Ravena