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...

Nadia from Jakarta, Indonesia Wants to Know the Purpose of Christmas Dear Santa, My name is Nadia and I am eleven years old. I live in Jakarta, Indonesia, the largest Muslim country in the world by population, which my teacher told us with what I think was pride. My family is Muslim. We do not celebrate Christmas, but my apartment building has a Christmas tree in the lobby every December because some of our neighbours are Christian, and my best friend Clara is Catholic and her family invited me to see their nativity scene last year, which was beautiful and which I had many questions about. I have several questions for you. What is the actual purpose of Christmas? Why is Indonesia made of so many islands and how many are there really? Why do some countries have one main religion and others have many? Thank you. Nadia Putri Wijaya Jakarta, Indonesia Dear Nadia, A Muslim girl in Jakarta who went to see her Catholic friend's nativity scene and came away with genuine questio...

  How Old Is Santa Claus? How old is Santa Claus? It is a question that has puzzled curious children for generations, and the truth is that no one knows his exact age. What we do know is that Santa is genuinely ancient. The figure we picture today grew out of a real historical person who lived around seventeen hundred years ago, which means the spirit of Santa Claus is older than nearly every country on the modern map. To ask how old Santa is, then, is really to ask how far back the tradition of generosity stretches. The real man behind the legend Santa Claus traces back to Saint Nicholas of Myra , a Christian bishop who lived in the fourth century in what is now Turkey. Saint Nicholas became famous for his quiet generosity, especially toward children and the poor. The stories told about him, including gifts left in secret, spread across Europe over the centuries and slowly transformed into the cheerful gift-bringer we know today. That means the foundation of Santa is roughly 1,700...

The Real Spirit of Christmas Ho ho ho! Well now, my friends, we've come to the end of our story. And what a story it's been! We've traveled a long way together, haven't we? We met young Mary, brave enough to say yes. We met faithful Joseph, who simply did the right thing, again and again. We walked the long road to Bethlehem, knocked on every full door in town, and found shelter at last in a humble stable. We watched a baby laid in a manger. We stood with the shepherds as the sky lit up with angels. We followed a star across the world with the wise men, and we watched a jealous king's schemes come to nothing. We fled to Egypt and came home to Nazareth. And we learned that beautiful name, Emmanuel — God with us. So now let old Santa ask you the big question. After all of that, what is the real spirit of Christmas? It isn't the wrapping paper, my friends, lovely as it is. It isn't the tinsel or the twinkling lights, much as I adore them. It isn't even, if ...

Santa Explains How The Wise Men Began Their Journey Ho ho ho! So that magnificent star was blazing away in the eastern sky — and far across the world, those wise scholars I told you about made a rather bold decision. They were going to follow it. Now think about what that actually meant, my friends. These were important men. Learned men. Men with comfortable homes, respected positions, and busy schedules. They could very easily have looked up at that star, nodded thoughtfully, made a note of it in their charts, and gone right back to their warm dinners. But they didn't. They packed their bags, organized their caravans, gathered their gifts, and set off on a long and difficult journey to find a newborn King they had never met, in a country they did not know, simply because a star told them He had been born. That, my friends, takes a special kind of faith. And a special kind of curiosity, too. Now Santa knows all about long journeys — I cover an awful lot of ground myself, as you wel...

Santa Tells Everyone About the Journey Home to Nazareth Ho ho ho! Well, Mary and Joseph had fled all the way to Egypt to keep their little one safe from jealous King Herod. And in a strange land, far from home, they waited. And they waited. Doing the patient, quiet work of keeping their family together until it was finally safe to return. And in time, my friends, that day came. Old King Herod, with all his scheming and all his worry, eventually passed from the scene. And once he was gone, heaven sent Joseph another message — yes, in a dream once again, because by now you know that's how Joseph received his news. The angel said, "Get up, take the child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to harm the child are gone." And just as faithfully as before, Joseph got up and did exactly as he was told. He gathered his family once more and made the long journey back home. Now, they settled in a town called Nazareth — the very same town where this...

Santa Explains About King Herod and His Worried Throne Ho ho ho! Now, every good story has a moment of suspense, doesn't it? A bit of tension. And the Christmas story is no different. So let me tell you about a fellow named King Herod — and I'll warn you now, he is not one of the heroes of our tale. You see, as the wise men traveled, following that bright star, they made a perfectly sensible stop. They arrived in the great city of Jerusalem and started asking around. "Where is the one who has been born King of the Jews? We saw His star in the East, and we have come to worship Him." Now, that's a fair question to ask in a big city. But it was exactly the wrong question to ask in front of the wrong king. Because the king on the throne in those parts was Herod — and Herod did not like the sound of a new king one little bit. When word reached Herod that strangers were wandering about asking after a newborn King, he was deeply troubled. And the Good Book tells us that ...

Mary Treasured These Things Ho ho ho! Now, with all the excitement of our story — the angels, the shepherds, the wise men, the star, the gifts, the fleeing and the returning — Santa wants to slow down for just a moment and talk about somebody who watched it all happen. Quietly. From up close. Young Mary, the mother. Think about everything this young woman had been through. An angel appeared and told her she'd have a very special son. She traveled seventy hard miles while expecting a baby. She gave birth in a stable and laid her newborn in a feeding trough. Then a band of rough shepherds came rushing in, breathless, talking about a sky full of singing angels. Later, grand wise men from far-off lands knelt on her floor and laid treasures before her child. Now that, my friends, is an awful lot to take in. That would be a lot for anyone! And the Good Book tells us something simple and lovely about how Mary handled it all. It says, "Mary treasured up all these things and pondered t...

Santa Explains The Long Journey to Bethlehem Ho ho ho! Now, you might think old Santa has the most demanding travel schedule in all of history. The whole world in a single night! And I'll admit, it keeps me busy. But let me tell you about a journey that puts even my sleigh route to shame. It all started with paperwork. Doesn't it always? The Roman emperor, Caesar Augustus, decided he wanted a census — a great big head-count of everyone in the land, mostly so he could keep track of his taxes. And the rule was, everyone had to travel back to their ancestral hometown to register. For Joseph, that hometown was Bethlehem. And Bethlehem was a long, long way from Nazareth — about seventy miles, give or take. Now seventy miles might not sound like much when you've got a sleigh and eight flying reindeer. But Mary and Joseph had no such luxury. They had their own two feet, a humble donkey, and a road full of rocks, hills, and dust. No paved highways. No cozy rest stops. No drive-thro...

A football fan in Green Bay asks Santa's weight, what causes lake-effect snow, and how a team can be fan-owned A Letter to Santa from Green Bay, Wisconsin Dear Santa, Hi Santa! My name is Wesley and I am 8 years old. I live in Green Bay, Wisconsin, a chilly city by the bay where everyone loves football. I love sledding and eating cheese curds. My cheeky question is: how much does Santa Claus weigh? My geography question is: what causes lake-effect snow? And my social studies question is: how can a sports team be owned by its fans? Thanks, Santa! Love, Wesley (age 8) Santa's Reply Ho ho ho, hello Wesley! That is a cheeky one, and I love it. I am afraid a gentleman never reveals his exact weight, especially one who eats as many cookies as I do! But I will happily admit that I am pleasantly round and comfortably stuffed. When I laugh, my belly wobbles like a bowl of jelly, and I would not trade a single pound of that jolly roundness. After all, my round shape is simply pro...

Santa Explains The Angel Visiting Mary Ho ho ho! Let's go all the way back to the beginning. Before the gifts, before the tree, before the stockings, before there was even a Santa Claus to speak of — there was a young woman named Mary, living in a quiet little town called Nazareth. Now Mary wasn't famous. She wasn't royalty. She didn't live in a palace or have servants fanning her with palm leaves. She was an ordinary young woman with an ordinary life, the kind of person you'd pass on the street without a second glance. And that, my friends, is exactly the point. One perfectly ordinary day, an angel named Gabriel showed up. Just appeared! Now, I've made a lot of surprise entrances in my time — down chimneys, across rooftops, into living rooms at midnight — so believe me when I say I know a dramatic arrival when I see one. But an angel walking into your home, glowing from head to toe? That'll get your full and undivided attention faster than a kettle whistle....

Jesus Is Born and Santa Explains Ho ho ho! And now we come to the moment. The one this whole story has been quietly building toward. The reason we string up the lights, sing the carols, and gather the ones we love close every single December. There, in that humble little stable in Bethlehem — surrounded by gentle animals, the soft rustle of straw, and the warm smell of fresh hay — Mary gave birth to her son. It was a quiet night. No fanfare. No royal physicians. No grand announcement echoing through marble halls. Just a young mother, a faithful husband standing watch, and the first cries of a newborn baby filling that little stable. Mary wrapped Him snugly in strips of cloth, the way mothers have swaddled their babies since the beginning of time, to keep Him warm and safe. And then she laid Him down to rest. But where? There was no crib in that stable. No bassinet. No fancy nursery with a mobile spinning overhead. So she laid Him in a manger. Now, in case you're wondering, a manger...