by Max, age 7, writes to Santa from Cologne, Germany, and asks how does santa know if you have been good?
Dear Santa,
My name is Max, and I am 7 years old. I live in Cologne, Germany, where his opa says the enormous cathedral downtown took over six hundred years to finish building.
Dear Max, that is exactly the sort of detail I like to hear about Cologne. 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 does Santa know if you have been good? My dad and I were arguing about it at breakfast.
I keep a very long list, though mostly I trust that children know in their own hearts when they have been kind, and that matters more to me than any list ever could.
Second, my grandpa was telling us about the Rhine River, which flows directly past the cathedral near his home. Do you fly over that on your Christmas Eve route?
Every single year, without fail. The rhine river, which flows directly past the cathedral near his home 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 Germany? My family was talking about it and I want to know if it is real.
It certainly is true. In germany, saint martin’s day in november kicks off the winter lantern-festival season that eventually leads into christmas. I think that is a wonderful thing for a family to talk about, because customs like that are exactly what make Germany feel like Germany, 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, Max. Keep noticing the world around you, keep asking honest questions, and keep being kind to the people in Cologne. That is the whole spirit of Christmas right there. Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas, Santa.
Your friend,
Max
Cologne, Germany
P.S. Does Weihnachtsmann ever visit Cologne too, or is that only your job?
We split the map fairly evenly, and Weihnachtsmann handles that part of the world beautifully. Consider it a very old and very friendly arrangement.
