by A bike-riding boy in Amsterdam asks when Santa’s birthday is, why his land sits below the sea, and the Dutch roots of Santa
A Letter to Santa from Amsterdam, Netherlands
Dear Santa,
Hallo Santa! My name is Daan and I am 8 years old. I live in Amsterdam, in the Netherlands, where there are more bicycles than people and canals run through the city. I love riding my bike and sailing little paper boats. My question is: when is Santa Claus’s birthday? My geography question is: why is so much of the Netherlands below sea level? And my social studies question is: how did a Dutch tradition help create Santa Claus? Dank je, Santa!
Love, Daan (age 8)
Santa’s Reply
Ho ho ho, hallo Daan! A boy who rides bikes and sails paper boats lives in exactly the right city. You asked about my birthday, and here is the happy truth. I do not have one single birthday, but the day most tied to me is the sixth of December, which is Saint Nicholas Day. And in your very own Netherlands, children celebrate Sinterklaas right around then, on the fifth and sixth of December. So in a way, my big day is celebrated in your country before almost anywhere else.
Your geography question: land below sea level
Much of your own Netherlands sits below the level of the sea. To stay safe and dry, the clever Dutch people built strong walls called dikes and used windmills and pumps to push water away. Because of this hard work, families can live and farm on land that would otherwise be underwater. Read more at National Geographic Kids.
Your social studies question: a Dutch tradition becomes Santa
Here is something to make you proud, Daan. Your country’s beloved Sinterklaas tradition traveled across the sea with Dutch families who settled in America long ago. There, the name Sinterklaas slowly changed into Santa Claus. So the cheerful fellow children everywhere wait for has Dutch roots running right through him. Explore more at Britannica Kids.
Sail an extra paper boat for me, Daan. Yours warmly from the North Pole, Santa Claus.
