KJust before Christmas Eve, the Christ Child in Engelskirchen still has plenty to do. In the past few weeks, more than 130,000 wish lists have been received from children from all over the world – “and some are still arriving,” said a spokeswoman for Deutsche Post. The 17 volunteers will be at work until Friday to answer the letters.
The letters came from 48 countries, including New Zealand, Australia, Argentina and India. More than 3,000 letters came in from Taiwan alone. The Christ Child answered in twelve languages. There are a total of seven Christmas post offices in Germany.
Many children wish for peace
Many wish lists contain classics such as doll accessories, Lego, unicorns, bicycles, real make-up, cuddly toys, construction cranes, soccer shoes or balls.
However, many children also want peace or more time with their families. Many a curious wish makes the helpers smile. A girl wished for “hair for my grandfather so that he doesn’t go bald”.
Many letters are lovingly painted, or children put something handicraft, as the spokeswoman said. Curious questions would also be asked – above all the riddle of how the Christ Child manages to distribute all the presents at the same time on Christmas Eve.
