Many kids across Wyoming will have their Christmas wishes answered by perfect strangers, just because they dropped a letter in the mail.

Writing letters to Santa is a timeless Christmas tradition, and for more than a century, Operation Santa Claus has allowed U.S. Postal Service employees to write back.

"Some folks get very surprised they get a response from Santa," said USPS Spokeswoman Darleen Reid. "Some get a written response, some get a gift, some get a gift card. We let them choose how they're going to respond."

The letters to Santa typically remain in the area from which they were mailed, and all personal information except the child's age and what they are asking for is removed.

Reid says helping Santa make kid's wishes come true can be heartbreaking, given the nature of some of the letters.

"The very first one that we read out loud was a child not asking for any toys, electronics or anything like that that you would expect," said Reid. "He asked for rice and beans.  So, a lot of the letters have great need and want."

Reid says some locations will be answering letters right up until the December 23.

Anyone interested in helping with Operation Santa Claus can visit USPS.com.

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