1897 "Yes, Virginia" Santa Claus Letter | Roadshow Archive | PBS

On this Christmas Eve, it's interesting to see a 1997 Antiques Roadshow appraisal of the original letter that Virginia O'Hanlon wrote to the editor of the New York Sun in 1897. The letter spurred a response that has become beloved by Santa Claus fans everywhere. The link below has a video of the appraisal, as well as photos of the original letter.

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/roadshow/archive/199704A43.html?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=pbsofficial&utm_campaign=antiquesroadshow

"Forever" Stamps Mean More Holiday Postage Choices

In the "old days," those who send holiday cards were limited to a couple of new stamp designs each year. Often, because postage prices changed or supplies ran out, stamps from previous years were not available. If you didn't like the current year's stamps, you were out of luck.

But, the Forever stamp has changed that, it seems! This year's selection of holiday postage includes so many designs, it's difficult to choose one!

Those sending Christmas cards can choose from this year's Gingerbread Houses, Poinsettias or Virgin and Child stamps. But, also available are last year's Santa and Sleigh or the Holy Family stamps. Additionally, you can still get the 2011 Holiday Baubles and the Madonna of the Candelabra stamps.

This year there are two Kwanzaa stamps, two Hannaukah stamps and two Eid stamps, as well.

Wishing you a happy holiday and a safe and warm winter!

US Holiday Today...No Mail

The U.S. Postal Service has been operating faithfully during the government shutdown. This is one important reason to be happy the USPS is an independent government agency.

However, today is Columbus Day in the U.S., and there will be no mail delivery.

There are only three more postal holidays left in 2013: Veteran's Day on Nov. 11, Thanksgiving on Nov. 28, and Christmas on Dec. 25.

Letter bridges seven decades

 The news last week brought a story about a Nevada woman who received a letter from her father almost 70 years after he wrote it.

It wasn't the postal service that caused the delay. In fact, no one is exactly sure what circumstances led to the letter being stored in a box in a house in St. Louis, but Donna Gregory found the letter and spent the past 14 years trying to find its rightful owner. Finally, she located Peggy Eddington-Smith who had been a tiny baby when her father wrote the letter to her.

It was World War II, and Pfc. John Eddington was stationed in Texas when he wrote the letter to the daughter he would never get a chance to see. Shortly after he sent the letter, he was sent overseas and died in Italy. His Bronze Star and Purple Heart medals were found with the letter and also returned to his daughter.

Peggy had once lived in St. Louis, and her mother, who died in 1997, had never remarried.

According to an Associated Press story, Eddington-Smith said getting her father's medals was nice, but the letter meant more because it made her feel closer to her him.

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Ray Charles stamp unveiled

On what would have been his 83rd birthday, the “father of soul,” Ray Charles, was honored today as the latest inductee into the U.S. Postal Service’s Music Icons Forever Stamp Series.

The ceremonies were scheduled to take place at the Ray Charles Performing Arts Center at Morehouse College in Atlanta and The GRAMMY Museum at L.A. LIVE in Los Angeles.

The first-class, Forever stamps are available in sheets of 16.

Boy meets world through letters

Five-year-old Toby Little of Sheffield, England, is meeting the people of the world by writing letters.

According to his website, www.writingtotheworld.com, Toby started writing letters to people all around the world after reading "A Letter to New Zealand."

His letter writing has really taken off, and he's turned it into a fundraising project, aiding the charity ShelterBox, which provides for families who have lost everything due to a disaster. You can read more about Toby and his letters on his website or in this story on the Huffington Post.

Turning email into snail mail

There has been quite a bit of press about Outbox (and possibly other similar companies) that collects your "snail mail," digitizes it and then sends it to you electronically. Effectively, it turns your postal mail into email.

But, have you heard about "Snail Mail My Email," a project that accomplishes the opposite of
Outbox? Snail Mail My Email began in 2011 and involved volunteers who collected emails and turned them into handwritten letters and mailed them to the intended recipient.

The project includes a website, a book and a Facebook page.

The website says that it will be an annual project with the next installment taking place this fall. Let's keep an eye on it.