by Djenane, age 9 from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, asks Santa about the Christmas Under Wraps cast, sharing Hispaniola with the Dominican Republic, and Haiti’s historic independence.
Dear Santa, my name is Djenane, and I am nine years old. I live in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, where my grann says our country was the very first place in the Americas to end slavery and become its own free republic.
Dear Djenane, that history fills me with real pride flying over your country, your grann is teaching you something truly important.
Santa, I have three questions.
Who is in Christmas Under Wraps cast? My cousin watches that movie every year and I always forget the actors’ names.
I will be honest, Djenane, that particular cast list has slipped my memory too, there are simply so many cozy Christmas films made every single year. You and your cousin could look it up together before your next watch.
My teacher says Haiti shares its whole island with another country, the Dominican Republic. Is that true?
It is true, Djenane, Haiti and the Dominican Republic share the island of Hispaniola, two distinct countries living side by side on the very same land. That kind of neighborly sharing, however different two communities may be, is really something worth respecting.
My grann says Haiti became independent a very long time ago, becoming the first Black-led republic in the whole world. Is that true?
It is true, Djenane, Haiti declared its independence in 1804, becoming the first nation founded by formerly enslaved people, a truly historic and courageous achievement. That kind of hard-won freedom deserves to be remembered and celebrated, Christmas and every day after.
Merry Christmas, Santa.
Your friend,
Djenane Pierre
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
P.S. Will you tell my cousin if you ever remember the cast?
I will keep a curious eye out, Djenane, movie mysteries are one of my favorite kinds to solve.
