by Isabella, age 9 from San Juan, Puerto Rico, asks Santa about Christmas Carol movies, Puerto Rico’s Caribbean location, and its long Christmas season.
Dear Santa, my name is Isabella, and I am nine years old. I live in San Juan, Puerto Rico, where my abuela says our Christmas season is so long it practically lasts two whole months.
Dear Isabella, your abuela is not exaggerating, Puerto Rico might just have the longest, liveliest Christmas season on my entire calendar.
Santa, I have three questions.
Is there a Christmas Carol movie? My teacher told us about the book but I want to know if I can watch it too.
There are several movie versions of that story, Isabella, made across many different years, so ask a grown-up to help pick one that suits you. Watching Scrooge learn to be kinder is a lesson that holds up no matter which version you choose.
My teacher says Puerto Rico is an island in the Caribbean Sea that belongs to the United States. Is that true?
It is true, Isabella, Puerto Rico is a Caribbean island and a United States territory, with its own rich culture and traditions all its own. I always enjoy that warm, musical stop on my Caribbean route.
My abuela says our Christmas season keeps going all the way through Three Kings Day and even further with parties called Las Octavitas. Is that true?
It is true, Isabella, Puerto Rico’s Christmas season is famously one of the longest anywhere, stretching from early December through Three Kings Day on January 6th and even beyond with Las Octavitas celebrations. That much sustained joy and togetherness is something every place could learn from.
Merry Christmas, Santa.
Your friend,
Isabella Rivera
San Juan, Puerto Rico
P.S. Will you still be tired from your rounds by the time Three Kings Day arrives?
A little, Isabella, though the Three Kings handle that particular night, so I mostly just enjoy the extra parrandas.
