In Luxembourg, letters to the Kleeschen have a real address: POST says children can write to “Kleeschen, 1, Spillstrooss, L-3290 Am Himmelsland”. Their letters can be sent without a stamp from a yellow postbox. To receive a reply, the main thing is to remember to write their name and address clearly.
This seasonal correspondence combines a family ritual with a very practical act: picking up a pen, making a wish and entrusting the letter to the postal network. For the 2026 campaign, L’essentiel reports that more than 8 900 letters were received the previous year. Behind the character expected in December, a team therefore has to process a considerable volume of post.
An imaginary address, a very real postal route
The Kleeschen, Luxembourg’s version of Saint Nicholas, receives letters at a place whose address is precise enough for the postal service to deliver them. POST4Kids, POST’s educational programme aimed in particular at children and families, gives this address and invites young correspondents to include their contact details. The letter can also be prepared using a wish-list template offered by the programme; this is not compulsory, however.
The postage-free delivery mentioned by POST makes things easier: the letter can be posted in any yellow postbox in the country. And if the recipient’s address is incomplete, POST assures senders that the letters still reach their destination. The most useful precaution is on the sender’s side: without a return address, the secretary’s office cannot send its reply to the child.
Replies prepared by POST members
The Kleeschen’s secretariat is not just a seasonal backdrop. According to POST and L’essentiel’s report, members of POST’s social club come in to help process the letters. The organisation says that children who have provided their address receive a reply. The same secretariat also receives letters addressed to Father Christmas and ensures that the children concerned get a response.
The figure of more than 8 900 letters refers to the previous year’s campaign, reported when the 2026 campaign opened. It gives an idea of the scale of this annual event, but is not the number of letters already sent this year. Each late autumn, the tradition therefore relies on a quiet chain of events: children write, the letters are collected, and then the volunteers or members drafted in prepare the replies.
Writing is also a way to take part in a tradition
For a child, a letter to the Kleeschen can be a gift list, but writing one also gives them a way to put a wish into words and address it to someone. The template offered by POST4Kids helps with this first step; children can also write freely, talk about something from their year or draw a picture. The tradition therefore does not depend on a particular formula or a perfectly written text.
This practice is part of the preparations for Saint Nicholas Day, celebrated on 6 December. In Luxembourg, the Kleeschen is a familiar figure at this time of year, particularly for children. The letter extends the anticipation in the weeks leading up to the celebration: it turns a date on the calendar into a personal occasion, with a recipient, a postbox and, if contact details are provided, a reply to receive.
Practical details for the 2026 campaign
The address published by POST is:
Kleeschen 1, Spillstrooss L-3290 Am Himmelsland
Letters can be posted without a stamp in yellow postboxes in Luxembourg. The child’s name and address must be written on the letter so that a reply can be sent. POST4Kids also offers a downloadable wish-list template.
References
- POST4Kids — writing to the Kleeschen
- L’essentiel — Children can already send their letter to the Kleeschen
A Luxembourg postbox photographed in 1995. Archive image.
