Children across Cyprus are stripping away the filters this Christmas, flooding the Post2Santa scheme with raw honesty, tech-heavy wish lists, and heartbreaking pleas for their families.
Cyprus Post officials confirmed to Phileleftheros that the tradition has become a festive staple, with volumes reaching roughly 11,500 letters this year. Digital submissions dominated the count at 9,500, while 2,000 children stuck to traditional paper and ink. A dedicated team of “elves” is currently racing to reply to every child, though many letters remain unanswered due to missing return addresses.
The letters reveal a sharp divide between modern consumerism and the harsh realities of home life. While gadgets like the iPhone 16 and smartwatches top many lists, other children used their one shot at a miracle to ask for basic security.
“Help my dad find a job”
One young boy, after promising he had been “diligent with schoolwork,” balanced his request for a ping-pong table and an iPhone 17 with a desperate family plea: «Lastly, if you can, I would like you to help my father find a job. And one more thing, if you can bring me PAOK tickets for Europe.»
Another child offered a pragmatic business deal to the saint: «I have saved some money. Could you take the money and get me the iPhone 16 (pink) or the iPhone 15 pro (white)?»
Modern trends and family quirks
The Post2Santa platform, supported by CYTA’s technology, captured a snapshot of 2024’s biggest trends. Boys largely fixated on football gear and video games, while girls requested skincare products and dolls. Creativity ran high, with many children attaching photos and drawings to ensure Santa didn’t deliver the wrong model of robot or tablet.
Some letters took a more humorous, domestic turn:
The Vice List: «My dad would like cigarettes and a lighter. My mum would like perfume.»
The Skeptic: One child challenged Santa’s very existence: «I don’t believe in you, so to show me you’re real, instead of putting the gift under the tree, put it by the door… Santa is not real.»
The Blank Cheque: A cheeky request for a father’s gift read: «I want you to bring him a cheque for €2,000 and then add as many zeros as you want.»
Prayers for peace
Amidst the demands for Nintendo consoles and “Omonia-themed room decor,” many children looked beyond their own bedrooms. One young girl asked for a bicycle before pivoting to the global crisis: «I would also like the wars to stop. Thank you so much… I will leave milk, biscuits, and a carrot for Rudolph.»
Another simply pleaded for universal fairness: «Please don’t leave a single child without a gift this year.»
