by Matilde, age 9, writes to Santa from Lisbon, Portugal, and asks how many reindeer does santa have?
Dear Santa,
My name is Matilde, and I am 9 years old. I live in Lisbon, Portugal, where her avó says the yellow trams climbing the hills look like toys from far away.
Dear Matilde, that is exactly the sort of detail I like to hear about Lisbon. 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 many reindeer does Santa have? My dad and I were arguing about it at breakfast.
Nine on the official roster, with Rudolph up front on foggy nights, though I keep a few backup reindeer in training just in case anyone catches a winter cold.
Second, my grandpa was telling us about the Tagus River, the longest river on the Iberian Peninsula, which opens into the ocean right by her city. Do you fly over that on your Christmas Eve route?
Every single year, without fail. The tagus river, the longest river on the iberian peninsula, which opens into the ocean right by her city 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 Portugal? My family was talking about it and I want to know if it is real.
It certainly is true. In portugal, families traditionally eat bacalhau, salted codfish, as the centerpiece of their christmas eve dinner. I think that is a wonderful thing for a family to talk about, because customs like that are exactly what make Portugal feel like Portugal, 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, Matilde. Keep noticing the world around you, keep asking honest questions, and keep being kind to the people in Lisbon. That is the whole spirit of Christmas right there. Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas, Santa.
Your friend,
Matilde
Lisbon, Portugal
P.S. Does Pai Natal ever visit Lisbon too, or is that only your job?
We split the map fairly evenly, and Pai Natal handles that part of the world beautifully. Consider it a very old and very friendly arrangement.
