Kids everywhere can now chat with Santa Claus via Windows Live Messenger. This is a publicity stunt, but I will indulge it, considering the context of the Spirit of Christmas and the holiday season. In fact, Microsoft is providing your children with the possibility of chatting online with Santa Claus. No more traditional letters sent to "The North Pole". All you have to do is introduce Santa's address in the Windows Live Messenger list: Northpole@live.com.

Microsoft promises that the children will be able to communicate instantly with Saint Nick. "Kids will enjoy immediate responses from the jolly big man himself through an interactive online chat, and they can even visit Santa's page on Windows Live Spaces. Filling Santa in on Christmas wishes and asking all about how the reindeer are doing or what's new at the North Pole are a few of the things kids can talk to Santa about. Santa can even tell kids where they stand on his list: naughty or nice," revealed Microsoft.

And for a complete Jolly Good Time, children will be able to check in with Santa Claus even on Christmas Eve. Santa will be circling the globe at that time, and kids can track him down via the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) Santa-tracking site. Santa will provide the link only on Christmas Eve and only to those children that want to know when he will slide down their chimneys.

"Santa's Online! Now the whole family can chat with Santa on Windows Live Messenger. Don't let the hustle and bustle of the holidays get in the way of that all-important "sit down" with Santa. This year, sit with your kids on your knee and chat directly with Santa," reads a message on the Santaonmessenger website.