by A hockey-loving boy in Moscow asks where Santa comes from, what the largest country is, and about gift-givers worldwide
A Letter to Santa from Moscow, Russia
Dear Santa,
Privet Santa! My name is Dmitri and I am 8 years old. I live in Moscow, in Russia, where the winters are long, snowy, and sparkling. I love ice hockey and reading adventure books. My question is: where does Santa Claus come from? How did you end up at the North Pole? My geography question is: what is the largest country in the world? And my social studies question is: why do different countries have their own gift-giving characters? Spasibo, Santa!
Love, Dmitri (age 8)
Santa’s Reply
Ho ho ho, privet Dmitri! A hockey player who reads adventure books will enjoy my story, because it is quite an adventure itself. My tale began far to the south, with a kind man named Saint Nicholas. Over hundreds of years, his story journeyed through many lands and many languages, picking up new traditions along the way, until the cheerful fellow you call Santa settled at his snowy home, the North Pole. And here is a fun fact for you: in your own Russia, there is a kindly winter gift-giver named Ded Moroz, or Grandfather Frost, who is rather like a cousin of mine.
Your geography question: the largest country
The largest country in the entire world is your own Russia. It is so enormous that it stretches across many time zones, meaning that when it is morning on one side, it is already evening on the other. Traveling from one end to the other takes a very long time indeed. Read more at National Geographic Kids.
Your social studies question: different gift-givers
Different countries have their own gift-giving characters because each one celebrates the season in its own special way. Your own Russia has Ded Moroz, who arrives with his granddaughter the Snow Maiden. Other lands have Father Christmas, Sinterklaas, or the Three Kings. These cheerful figures all share the same lovely idea, the joy of giving. Explore more at Britannica Kids.
Score a goal for me, Dmitri. Yours warmly from the North Pole, Santa Claus.
