by Oksana, age 9, writes to Santa from Kyiv, Ukraine, and asks how old are you, santa?
Dear Santa,
My name is Oksana, and I am 9 years old. I live in Kyiv, Ukraine, where her dido always hangs a straw goat ornament on the tree for good fortune in the new year.
Dear Oksana, that is exactly the sort of detail I like to hear about Kyiv. It tells me you are paying close attention to the world around you, which is a fine habit to keep. Please keep noticing things like that.
Santa, I have three questions. First, how old are you, Santa? My dad and I were arguing about it at breakfast.
I am considerably older than the calendar can keep track of, but my elves stopped counting candles somewhere around the invention of the printing press. Age is mostly a state of mind up here, and mine is set permanently to jolly.
Second, my grandpa was telling us about the Dnipro River, which splits her city into a hilly side and a flat side. Do you fly over that on your Christmas Eve route?
Every single year, without fail. The dnipro river, which splits her city into a hilly side and a flat side is one of the sights the reindeer look forward to most, and I always tell the newer reindeer to watch closely as we pass over, because there are not many views in the whole wide world quite like it. Rudolph tends to slow down just a little right there, and I have learned not to rush him.
Third, is it true that in Ukraine? My family was talking about it and I want to know if it is real.
It certainly is true. In ukraine, a sheaf of wheat called a didukh is placed in the home on christmas eve to honor ancestors and wish for a good harvest. I think that is a wonderful thing for a family to talk about, because customs like that are exactly what make Ukraine feel like Ukraine, and they are precisely the sort of thing that keeps a community close together, especially in the winter months.
Thank you for your letter and your good questions, Oksana. Keep noticing the world around you, keep asking honest questions, and keep being kind to the people in Kyiv. That is the whole spirit of Christmas right there. Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas, Santa.
Your friend,
Oksana
Kyiv, Ukraine
P.S. Does Did Moroz ever visit Kyiv too, or is that only your job?
We split the map fairly evenly, and Did Moroz handles that part of the world beautifully. Consider it a very old and very friendly arrangement.
