Letters to Santa Claus

Kaia, age 9 from Honolulu, Hawaii, asks Santa for his phone number, Hawaii's volcanic islands, and the greeting Mele Kalikimaka. Dear Santa, my name is Kaia, and I am nine years old. I live in Honolulu, Hawaii, where my tutu says our whole state is made up entirely of islands formed by volcanoes a very long time ago. Dear Kaia, an entire state built from volcanoes makes for one of the most dramatic landing zones on my whole route, your tutu picked a truly spectacular hometown. Santa, I have three questions. What's Santa's phone number? My little brother wants to call you directly this year instead of writing a letter. I do not keep a phone number, Kaia, my workshop gets much better reception through letters, which I read every single one of, without fail. Tell your brother his wishes will reach me just fine the old fashioned way. My tutu says Hawaii is the only state in the entire country made up completely of islands. Is that true? It is true, Kaia, Hawaii is the only stat...

Lea, age 9, asks Baba Noel do you come on Christmas Eve like my Santa, or a different night?, about the Mediterranean Sea, and why Lebanon celebrates Christmas and Eid Dear Baba Noel, My name is Lea and I am 9 years old. I live in Beirut, Lebanon, where we string colored lights along the balconies and my grandmother roasts chestnuts on the stove every single night in December. First, do you come on Christmas Eve like my Santa, or a different night? Second, a geography question: what sea is right next to Beirut? Third, a school question about my country: why does Lebanon celebrate both Christmas and Eid? I left you a few dates and a tiny cup of mint tea. Love, Lea, age 9, Beirut, Lebanon, Beirut, Lebanon From the Desk of Baba Noel Dear Lea, thank you for the treat, it was wonderful. Now, your questions. Do you come on Christmas Eve like my Santa, or a different night? I come on Christmas Eve, the same night as my colleague Santa Claus, since our two routes overlap through this part of t...

Grace, age 10, asks about Christmas Eve as a federal holiday, the Potomac, and how bills pass Dear Santa, Hello from Washington, D.C. My name is Grace and I am 10 years old. My dad works for the government, so every December our whole family pays very close attention to whether he gets extra days off around Christmas, and this year there was a lot of talk on the news about it. My first question is: will Christmas Eve become a permanent federal holiday? My second question is geography: what river flows past Washington, D.C.? My third question is from school: how does a bill actually become a federal holiday in the United States? I left you a slice of pumpkin pie, since we always seem to have leftovers well past Thanksgiving. Love, Grace, age 10, Washington, D.C., USA From the Desk of Father Christmas Dear Grace, leftover pumpkin pie is one of the great gifts of the season, so thank you very much. Now, to your very current questions. Will Christmas Eve become a permanent federal holiday?...

Antoni, age 9, asks about Midnight Mass on Christmas Eve, about the Vistula River, and Krakow's square Dear Santa, Czesc from Krakow. My name is Antoni and I am 9 years old. Every single Christmas Eve, no matter how sleepy I am, my whole family bundles up and walks to church for a service that starts right at midnight, and I always try my hardest to stay awake for the entire thing. My first question is: how is Christmas Eve traditionally observed with that midnight service? My second question is geography: what river runs through Krakow? My third question is from school: why is Krakow's main square considered one of the finest medieval squares in Europe? I left you pierogi, a few different kinds, and a slice of makowiec, a poppy seed roll. Love, Antoni, age 9, Krakow, Poland From the Desk of Father Christmas Dear Antoni, pierogi and makowiec made for a wonderfully filling stop, thank you very much. Now, to explain that midnight tradition properly, and your other questions. How ...

Helmi, age 8, asks Joulupukki do you have elves helping you?, about the Arctic Circle, and Finland's Sami reindeer herders Dear Joulupukki, My name is Helmi and I am 8 years old. I live in Rovaniemi, Finland, where the sun barely comes up at all in December, and my papa says we live closer to you than almost anyone else in the whole world. First, do you have elves helping you? Second, a geography question: what imaginary line crosses right through Rovaniemi? Third, a school question about my country: why is Finland home to reindeer-herding communities like the Sami? I left you gingerbread stars and warm milk. Love, Helmi, age 8, Rovaniemi, Finland, Rovaniemi, Finland From the Desk of Joulupukki Dear Helmi, thank you for the treat, it was wonderful. Now, your questions. Do you have elves helping you? A great many elves, busy year-round in my Rovaniemi workshop, building and preparing long before December arrives. What imaginary line crosses right through Rovaniemi? The Arctic Circle...

Quem é o Pai Natal? O visitante da noite de Natal Em Portugal, o Pai Natal é a figura que traz os presentes às crianças durante a noite de 24 para 25 de dezembro. A sua imagem — homem idoso, de barba branca, casaco vermelho e saco de presentes — segue de perto a tradição internacional de Santa Claus, embora o nome português mantenha um tom mais formal e tradicional. A consoada em primeiro lugar Antes da chegada do Pai Natal, a verdadeira estrela da noite portuguesa é a consoada, a ceia familiar de 24 de dezembro, tipicamente composta por bacalhau cozido com couves e batatas, seguida de doces tradicionais como as rabanadas e o bolo-rei. Só depois da ceia, muitas vezes à meia-noite, é que os presentes são finalmente abertos. Meias na lareira, sapatos na janela As crianças portuguesas penduram meias junto à lareira ou colocam sapatos na janela, à espera que o Pai Natal as encha de presentes durante a noite. Em muitas regiões, esta tradição coexiste com celebrações católicas mais antigas, ...

Santa Claus Gives Financial Advice and It Is Shockingly Sensible When Haruto from Kyoto wrote to the North Pole asking whether lottery tickets were a reasonable retirement strategy, he did not necessarily expect a response. He certainly did not expect the response to be as thorough, as practical, and as diplomatically delivered as the one Santa eventually provided through  SantaClaus.top . Haruto's letter also asked about elf compensation, reindeer union negotiations, and mall Santas. Santa addressed all of these with characteristic patience. But it was the retirement question that lingered — because it revealed something that careful readers of North Pole correspondence have suspected for years: Santa Claus has quietly developed what amounts to a coherent and sensible personal finance philosophy, accumulated over centuries of observing what actually makes families happy versus what they thought would make them happy when they wrote their wish lists. Santa's Core Financial Pr...

Chi è Babbo Natale in Italia? Un vecchio amico arrivato dal Nord In Italia, la figura che porta i regali ai bambini la notte del 24 dicembre si chiama Babbo Natale: un uomo anziano, vestito di rosso, con la barba bianca e un sacco pieno di doni. Sebbene la sua immagine moderna derivi in gran parte da Santa Claus americano, il nome italiano richiama una tradizione più antica legata a San Nicola di Bari, il vescovo del quarto secolo le cui reliquie riposano proprio in Puglia. Babbo Natale non è mai solo Ciò che rende l'Italia unica è che Babbo Natale condivide la scena con altre figure regionali. Nel sud, molte famiglie aspettano ancora Gesù Bambino la notte di Natale, mentre il 6 gennaio arriva La Befana, la vecchia strega gentile che riempie le calze appese al camino. Nei giorni prima di Natale, i bambini scrivono letterine a Babbo Natale, spesso lasciandole sul davanzale o affidandole al camino stesso, insieme a un bicchiere di latte e qualche biscotto, oppure un bicchierino di li...

Chi è Babbo Natale in Italia? Un vecchio amico arrivato dal Nord In Italia, la figura che porta i regali ai bambini la notte del 24 dicembre si chiama Babbo Natale: un uomo anziano, vestito di rosso, con la barba bianca e un sacco pieno di doni. Sebbene la sua immagine moderna derivi in gran parte da Santa Claus americano, il nome italiano richiama una tradizione più antica legata a San Nicola di Bari, il vescovo del quarto secolo le cui reliquie riposano proprio in Puglia. Babbo Natale non è mai solo Ciò che rende l'Italia unica è che Babbo Natale condivide la scena con altre figure regionali. Nel sud, molte famiglie aspettano ancora Gesù Bambino la notte di Natale, mentre il 6 gennaio arriva La Befana, la vecchia strega gentile che riempie le calze appese al camino. Nei giorni prima di Natale, i bambini scrivono letterine a Babbo Natale, spesso lasciandole sul davanzale o affidandole al camino stesso, insieme a un bicchiere di latte e qualche biscotto, oppure un bicchierino di li...