by Valentina from Roatán asks Santa about Christmas ham, learns about the Bay Islands’ coral reefs, and hears about Honduras’s Nacimiento and torrejas dessert tradition
Dear Santa, my name is Valentina and I am nine years old. I live in Roatán, Honduras, where my tía says the water around our island is so clear that fish seem to be swimming through glass instead of water.
Dear Valentina, I have flown low over that exact water myself, and your tía’s description could not be more accurate.
Santa, I have three questions.
My first question is, do you like Christmas ham? My family always has one alongside torrejas, our special holiday dessert, and I wondered if you had tried both.
I have, Valentina, and that particular combination is genuinely excellent. Torrejas, that sweet, syrupy bread dessert, has become something I quietly look forward to every year in Honduras.
My second question is about our reef. My teacher says our islands sit right along one of the largest coral reef systems in the world. Is that true?
It is, Valentina. The Bay Islands sit along the Mesoamerican Reef, one of the largest coral reef systems on Earth, teeming with colorful marine life. Flying along that turquoise coastline each Christmas Eve is one of the most beautiful stretches of my entire route.
My third question is about the Nacimiento. My family builds an elaborate nativity scene every December, bigger every single year. Why does it keep growing?
The Nacimiento holds deep importance in Honduran Christmas tradition, Valentina, with families often adding new figures or details year after year, turning it into a living, growing family project rather than something finished all at once. I think a tradition that grows a little every year, carried forward by the whole family, becomes more meaningful with each new piece added.
Merry Christmas, Santa.
Your friend,
Valentina Suazo
Roatán, Honduras
P.S. Will you save room for torrejas this year?
Absolutely, Valentina. I have already made space in my schedule for it.
