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Christmas in Afghanistan — Kabul Dear Santa, My name is Dawit and I am twelve years old. I live in Kabul, Afghanistan. I am writing this letter in secret, the way we do everything. My family are followers of Jesus Christ, which we do not say outside our home, because in Afghanistan under the Taliban, saying this is dangerous. My father says faith kept in secret is still faith. I believe him, but I also wonder sometimes why faith must be secret at all. I have three questions. Do you come to Afghanistan? Does Christmas happen here even though nobody talks about it? Where exactly is Afghanistan in the world, and why has it always been a place where powerful countries fight each other? Why does a government decide what a person is allowed to believe? Thank you. Dawit Kabul, Afghanistan Dear Dawit, Your letter arrived at the North Pole and every elf in the correspondence division stopped what they were doing when it was read aloud. Not because it was the longest letter we received thi...
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What's Santa's Phone Number? II

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...
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Baba Noel: Do you come on Christmas Eve like my Santa, or a different night?

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...
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Will Christmas Eve Be a Federal Holiday?

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?...
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How Christmas Eve?

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 ...
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Why Is There a Santa Claus Rally? A Letter from Connecticut

A puzzle-solver in Hartford asks why a Santa Claus rally happens, what the Connecticut River is, and how insurance works A Letter to Santa from Hartford, Connecticut Dear Santa, Hi Santa! My name is Penelope and I am 9 years old. I live in Hartford, Connecticut, a historic New England city by a river. I love reading and solving puzzles. My question is: why is there a thing called a Santa Claus rally? My geography question is: what is the Connecticut River? And my social studies question is: what is insurance, and how does it help people? Thanks, Santa! Love, Penelope (age 9) Santa's Reply Ho ho ho, hello Penelope! A puzzle solver asks a puzzling question, and I am happy to crack it for you. It is not a parade, as some folks first think! A Santa Claus rally is a phrase grown-ups use about the stock market, the place where people buy and sell small shares of companies. It is called that because it happens around Christmastime, in the last days of December into the new year, when shar...
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Quem é o Pai Natal?

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, ...
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