Santa's special delivery

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The weather was a tad frightful, but nothing that could keep postal carriers David T. Brown and Sharon Conerly -- dressed as Santa and Mrs. Claus -- from delivering dozens of packages to residents throughout the District.

The two costumed carriers, driving a white U.S. Postal Service sport utility vehicle and waving to other drivers who honked their appreciation, were among the dozens of postal workers in the region delivering packages on Christmas Day.

Mr. Brown and Miss Conerly delivered about 15 of the estimated 1,000 packages distributed throughout the District.

"I look forward to this every year," said Miss Conerly, 47, a letter carrier for 13 years. "In any kind of weather, the mail must go."

Dressed in a red fur-trimmed suit and cap, white beard, glasses and a blinking red nose, Mr. Brown greeted 2-year-old Roni Mengstab at the door of his Northeast home with a high-five and a hug.

"Ho, ho, ho. It's Santa. Merry Christmas," he told the boy.

Mr. Brown's co-worker -- clad in homemade red velvet shawl, dress and glasses -- presented a blue gift-wrapped package to his parents.

"It's wonderful," said Regbe Asefaw, 27, as husband Robi Mengstab, 32, signed for the package. "This is the first time I got Santa to come to my home."

The Postal Service has offered Christmas Day mail delivery for at least 20 years, and Miss Conerly and Mr. Brown have portrayed the red-suited couple from the North Pole for the past decade, they said.

At the Curseen-Morris post office in Northeast, Mr. Brown and Miss Conerly randomly select the packages they will deliver, Miss Conerly said. The rest are delivered by traditionally clothed postal workers.