North Pole – NZ Post and Hana Kōkō (Santa) understand the importance of using more te reo in everyday lives, as the current generations see a groundswell revival of the Māori language.
For the fourth year, NZPost is offering the magical connection of writing to Santa and for Kiwi kids to receive replies from Santa in te reo Māori and English.
NZ Post’s Te Kai a te Rangitira founding member Heremia Nikora says they absolutely love being able to be a part of the magic that Christmas brings and being a part of Kiwi kids’ experience of writing to Hana Kōkō.
“We’ve sent hundreds of responses in te reo Māori over the past few years and in 2021, we delivered more letters on Santa’s behalf than ever before” Nikora says.
Last year NZ Post responded to almost 100,000 letters to Santa in both te reo Māori and English, and this year they are looking t to helping Hana Kōkō receive these responses and deliver replies to tamariki this year. Messages can be sent online using our interactive website or by post.
The interactive website allows children to send Santa an online letter as well as having special access to Santa’s Ho Ho homepage, where kids can read Santa’s emails, play games, listen to North Pole FM and browse Santa’s holiday snaps too.
Tamariki can make and send a digital postcard here.
The deadline for all online messages received by Santa closes at 50pm, December 22. They will receive an email response.
The last day for posting handwritten letters to Santa to receive a reply in the mail ends today. NZ Post has been delivering Christmas to New Zealanders for almost 180 years.
NZ Post’s Māori leadership programme’s te hononga graduates know that some whānau don’t have the tools or confidence pronounce te reo Māori correctly and they are committed to empowering people to step up and support each other in learning and growing te reo Māori with their rōpū, te kai a te rangitira, food of the chiefs.
