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Children in Greece ask Santa Claus to stop poverty, hunger, jihadists

Xinhua, December 30, 2015 Adjust font size:

Officials from the Hellenic Post Office (ELTA) here were surprised this week when opening Greek children's letters to Santa Claus that they had asked him to put an end to poverty, hunger and jihadists.

In the debt-hit country, children seem to have been affected by the dark reality of the vast refugee influx, the difficulties their households face due to economic recession, and the terrorism threat across Europe after the Paris attack, according to an ELTA press release.

According to ELTA's Facebook wall, the first letter that arrived at the Santa Claus Post Office read: "Dear Santa, I want you to bring peace to the world. Stop jihadists, stop bullying at schools, end hunger, unemployment and evil. Also please find a job for my dad. Thank you."

"If you can, I want you to bring clothes and food to children who are from countries that have war," young Tanya wrote in another letter.

Among the thousands letters the Hellenic Post received over the past few weeks, there were also letters from adults turning to Santa Claus for hope.

A letter from a 45-year-old unemployed woman read: "Bring anything that can take the black from our lives away and help us go on."

According to officials from the Hellenic Post, last year Santa Claus in Greece received about 100,000 letters, while in 2013 some 80,000 letters were delivered.

All letters received in the special red boxes placed outside every local post office across Greece are read by Hellenic Post employees and all children receive a written reply and a symbolic present from Santa Claus. Endit