Letters to Santa? Snapchat Research Reveals Gen Z’s Surprising Nostalgia for Handwritten Notes

Gen z nostalgia is driving the surprising resurgence of an old-school festive tradition: the handwritten wish list. According to new research from Snap, 40% of gen z like to turn to physical letter writing when the time comes to jot down their desires. But gen z isn’t sending their letters up the chimney; instead they’re then turning to social media to get the word out.

Rachel Levy, head of retail and lifestyle at Snapchat, says that this insight “blows my mind” and highlights just how important nostalgia is, as well as showing how brands can use technology and social media to give those traditions a new relevance.
“When we talk about nostalgia in this context, we're talking about bridging the traditional — so, the handwritten wish list — with the digital curation of those wish lists,” she says.

This trend, reflects Rachel, is driven by the desire to find moments of mindfulness as much as it is by the pursuit of holiday magic. The research reveals that almost three quarters of gen z (74%) who write Christmas wish lists say it makes the season feel more nostalgic, personal and joyful. For others, it’s the rare cosy moment of calm in a busy and hectic season and a mindful pause (23%) before the wrapping paper chaos begins.

“What's really interesting to me is this idea of mindfulness,” says Rachel. “I think it's become quite a big thing over the last couple of years, but specifically within this piece of research, what you'll see is that they want to take the time. They want to discuss what's right for them.”

While handwritten notes are all very lovely, let’s be real, this is gen z we’re talking about, so even if things start out analogue, it’s not long before they end up in the social media space. Santa might welcome a letter to his North Pole HQ, but your parents and friends would likely find it quite gauche. 68% of gen z share their gift ideas on messaging apps and through social posts. And that turns the wish list from a static document to something more dynamic.

“Whether it's with friends and family, whether it's creators that they're speaking to, you're taking that on board, and you are literally changing your wish list because of what you've seen, because of your friend's wish list, and rebuilding it, ripping it apart, rewriting it because of the guidance of those people around you.”

All of which means that brands, social platforms and creators have a big role to play. 77% of gen z are getting their ideas from creator content posts by influencers or from friends and family social accounts and what they are sharing (though physical experiences and the act of browsing still matters as over 42% of gen z find inspiration in high street stores).

“Partner with creators,” Rachel urges. “So, ultimately, you need to get it out there, right? We need to be the brand that is talked about, that is being shared in the chat.”
Another piece of advice Rachel has for brands is to make it easy for people to build wish lists and share their products with their friends and family. And yes, there’s a UX aspect to that (heart buttons and the like), but there’s also a clarity and transparency piece, making stock availability, sizes etc clear as there’s no point letting someone build a wish list around something that’s not available.

At Snap, explains Rachel, they’ve been working to help gen z build their wish lists – and brands to get on that list – in a number of ways. Perhaps the most exciting is the AR Winter Village featuring virtual wooden chalet stores for brands Chopard, Boss and Lancome, bringing a bit of that physical browsing experience to user’s phones. It’s an experience that is becoming increasingly popular with shoppers in the luxury space as it removes pressure and a feeling of intimidation. Rachel describes it as “bridging the traditional, which we spoke about upfront, with the digital moment”.

The festive shopping period is well underway, but once the dust settles (or snow? We are forever optimistic), retailers and brands will begin planning for December 2026. And when they do, Snap’s research suggests that finding a way to blend the analogue traditions that make the holidays magical with digital wizardry and social sharing should be at the top of marketers’ wish lists.

“Even the most online generation still loves the magic and joy of Christmas traditions, but it’s in the chat where decisions really happen and where brands can authentically show up,” says Rachel.