by A cricket-loving boy in Dhaka asks if Santa is real, what a mangrove forest is, and why we celebrate our mother language
A Letter to Santa from Dhaka, Bangladesh
Dear Santa,
Assalamu alaikum Santa! My name is Rafiq and I am 8 years old. I live in Dhaka, in Bangladesh, a busy, colorful city full of rickshaws painted like rainbows. I love cricket and flying kites from the rooftop. My question is: are Santa Claus real? My geography question is: what is a mangrove forest? And my social studies question is: why do people celebrate their mother language? Dhonnobad, Santa!
Love, Rafiq (age 8)
Santa’s Reply
Ho ho ho, assalamu alaikum Rafiq! A cricket player who flies kites from the rooftop will understand my answer well. Yes, I am real, and let me explain it in a way you can feel. I am real like the warmth of a fire on a cold night. You cannot scoop that warmth into a box or hold it in your hand, yet it is absolutely real, and it spreads to everyone nearby. That is exactly how I am real. I am the warmth of giving, and you feel me every time kindness fills a room.
Your geography question: a mangrove forest
A mangrove forest is a special woodland of trees that grow right where the land meets the salty sea, with roots that arch up out of the water. Your own Bangladesh shares the Sundarbans, one of the largest mangrove forests in the world, and home to the magnificent Bengal tiger. Mangroves protect the coast and shelter countless creatures. Read more at National Geographic Kids.
Your social studies question: celebrating a mother language
People celebrate their mother language because it carries their stories, songs, and the voices of their grandparents. Your own Bangladesh feels this deeply, and the world even marks an International Mother Language Day that grew from Bangladesh’s history. Honoring your language is a way of honoring who you are and where you come from. Explore more at Britannica Kids.
Hit a six in cricket for me, Rafiq. Yours warmly from the North Pole, Santa Claus.
