(Seo alt ónár bhfoireann nua Gaeltachta.  Is féidir an bunleagan as Gaeilge a léamh anseo.)

IF YOUR CHILDREN write their letters to Santa in Irish, An Post’s Irish Language Officer has confirmed that the child will receive a letter in the same language back from the North Pole.

Responding to questions from The Journal, Criostóir Mac Cafraidh said that the question of receiving letters in Irish from Santa if a child writes to him in that language is one of the biggest questions the company receives every year.

“This is one of the most asked questions we get every year: do children get a reply in Irish from Santa if they write to him?” he said.

“Yes! And not only that, but this tradition has been alive and well over the years.

“When a letter in Irish comes into the North Pole, An Post works closely with the elves and Santa to ensure that the child receives a reply. This service has been further improved in recent years due to the new Act and the continued increase in demand.”

This was not always the case as before the provisions of the Official Languages ​​Act came into force for An Post, children who wrote to Santa would receive a bilingual response, mostly in English.

In December 2005, the editor of the daily newspaper Gaeilge Lá (I was that editor) wrote a letter to a child who had written to the newspaper asking if Santa Claus spoke Irish and the letter was published on the front page, which put the spotlight on this particular problem at the time.

This was the letter Francis Pharcellus Church wrote to Virginia to allay her doubts about the existence of Santa. Journalism History Journal Journalism History Journal

This letter echoed a letter that the editor of The Sun, a newspaper in New York in 1897, Frances Pharcellus Church, wrote to a nine-year-old girl, Virginia, informing her that Santa Claus existed.

Now it is a completely different story and Mac Cafraidh says that the letter in Irish from Santa Claus is among a wide range of Irish language services that An Post provides at Christmas and throughout the year.

Mac Cafraidh said that the company had noticed a significant increase in demand for services in Irish due to the increased interest in the language.

“More people are seeking services in the language, more families are choosing bilingual communication, and it is true that the public is now much more confident in saying “Merry Christmas”, or using other Irish phrases in their daily lives.

“Of course, the Official Languages ​​Act is an act to improve bilingual services, but An Post is strongly committed to the Irish language, not only that the provisions of the Act will be complied with, but that we will be at the forefront of promoting the Irish language and that we will make a strong effort to have a cultural backbone for our national language.

“However, even if the Act were not in place, it is clear to us that the public itself is pushing for Irish language services. It is clear to me that when policy 7 is in demand, Christmas will be more Irish in a more visible way than ever.”

As the deadline approaches for sending Christmas cards in the post so that they arrive before Christmas Eve, An Post has published a list of Christmas greetings on the company’s website.

Here are some examples of the greetings on the An Post website:

• Nollaig faoi shéan is faoi mhaise duit – A happy and healthy Christmas to you
• Beannachtaí na Nollag ort – Christmas blessings to you
• Nollaig shona agus athbhliain faoi mhaise duit – Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
• Go mbeirimíd beo ag an am seo arís – May we live to see this time again.

Among the other Irish language services being provided by An Post at Christmas are bilingual stamps and Mac Cafraidh says that there is an increase in demand for stamps that have a heritage and Christmas theme.

The Journal’s Gaeltacht initiative is supported by the Local Democracy Reporting Scheme