by Kevin, age 9 from Managua, Nicaragua, asks Santa about the Christmas Story leg lamp, Lake Nicaragua’s freshwater sharks, and La Purisima.
Dear Santa, my name is Kevin, and I am nine years old. I live in Managua, Nicaragua, where my abuela says our big lake is home to freshwater sharks found almost nowhere else in the world.
Dear Kevin, freshwater sharks might be the single strangest thing on my entire route, and I always give Lake Nicaragua a respectful, curious flyover.
Santa, I have three questions.
Is the Christmas Story leg lamp real? My tio has a replica one in his living room and it always makes me laugh.
The lamp itself is a famous movie prop, Kevin, though replicas like your tio’s have become a popular real item people buy for their own homes. It always makes me smile too, a leg-shaped lamp is exactly the kind of delightfully odd decoration Christmas seems to invite.
My teacher says Nicaragua has coastlines on both the Pacific Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. Is that true?
It is true, Kevin, Nicaragua touches both the Pacific and the Caribbean, a rare double coastline that makes for one of the most varied stretches on my whole Central American route.
My abuela says before Christmas, our neighborhood celebrates La Purisima, honoring the Virgin Mary with songs and little gifts. Is that true?
It is true, Kevin, La Purisima is a beloved Nicaraguan tradition in early December, with neighbors going door to door singing and sharing small treats before Christmas even arrives. Traditions like that, built entirely around neighbors sharing with neighbors, are really the warm-up act for the whole holiday season.
Merry Christmas, Santa.
Your friend,
Kevin Morales
Managua, Nicaragua
P.S. Have you ever seen the freshwater sharks yourself?
From a respectful altitude, Kevin, I prefer my shark sightings to stay strictly aerial.
