emailSanta.com is a Christmas-themed entertainment website run by Alan Kerr which simulates emailing Santa Claus.[1] It also provides various other Christmas-themed simulations. Users compose their letter by filling out a blank form, then the website responds with a computer-generated letter which claims to be from Santa Claus. The site also includes a simulated video call for users to "see Santa live", where a pre-recorded video of an actor would be shown prior to the reply letter. From the website's inception, letters which contain pleas for help were directed to a special page, which lists online resources for assistance and counselling helplines. In extreme circumstances, the police have also been contacted.[2]
When a 1997 Canada Post workers strike prevented their volunteers from responding to his niece and nephews letters to Santa Claus, Kerr created emailSanta.com as an online alternative.[3][4] During the first two weeks of the site's existence, emailSanta.com received over 1,000 emails.[5][6]
In 2011, the website was incorporated in Alberta, Canada as emailSanta.com Inc.[dubious–discuss]
In a 2021 letter to the Search Engine Journal, Kerr noted the declining traffic of his website.[7] However, Kerr reported that traffic increased by 35% following another Canada Post strike[8] in 2024.
Reception
emailSanta.com has received mixed reviews from a variety of sources. Both Kerr and the website have received compliments and praise from TheStreet and Mamamia.[9][10] It has also been noted for teaching children about the importance of online safety.[11] In 2002, Wired reported that Mummert Consulting, a German market-research company, had been evaluating Santa websites and that "the top site on the list was EmailSanta.com" for two years, specifically citing the personalization that kids receive in response.[12]
Criticism
On Christmas Eve in 2013, Nicholas Tufnell from Wired stated that "[t]he design leaves a lot to be desired (it's very late 1990s), but it's perfectly functional". He sent an email through the website and noted that "[t]he response [from Santa] is pleasant enough, if a little vague. It may excite children, but we're not convinced." He also remarked that the email came across as "obsequious", while the website's practice of having Santa type out "*wink*" was "unsettling".[13]
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