by Minh, age 8, asks how many Christmas Chronicles films exist, about the Red River, and Tet
Dear Santa,
Xin chao from Hanoi. My name is Minh and I am 8 years old. Christmas is still fairly new and small here compared to our biggest holiday, Tet, but the Old Quarter gets decorated with lights, and my family watches a Christmas film together every year, usually one with you in it.
My first question is: how many Christmas Chronicles movies are there?
My second question is geography: what is the river that runs through Hanoi called?
My third question is from school: what is Tet and why is it so important in Vietnam?
I left you a warm cup of Vietnamese egg coffee, which I am told is unlike anything you have tried before.
Love, Minh, age 8, Hanoi, Vietnam
From the Desk of Father Christmas
Dear Minh, that egg coffee was rich and sweet and completely unlike anything I had tasted before, so thank you for the introduction. Now, to your good questions.
How many Christmas Chronicles movies are there?
There are two Christmas Chronicles films, both made for Netflix and both starring Kurt Russell in a rather charming version of me. The first came out in 2018 and follows two siblings who accidentally crash my sleigh on Christmas Eve, and the sequel arrived in 2020 with an even bigger adventure. I will say the films take a good few creative liberties with how my actual night runs, but they are good fun all the same.
What is the river that runs through Hanoi called?
The Red River flows past Hanoi, named for the reddish silt it carries down from the mountains. It has shaped the landscape and farming of northern Vietnam for thousands of years, and the fertile land along its banks helped Hanoi grow into the great city it is today.
What is Tet and why is it so important in Vietnam?
Tet is the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, and it is the most important holiday of the entire year in Vietnam, even bigger than Christmas. It usually falls in late January or February and marks the start of spring and a new beginning. Families travel long distances to be together, homes are cleaned and decorated with peach blossoms or kumquat trees, and children receive lucky money in red envelopes. It carries much of the same warmth and togetherness that Christmas carries in other parts of the world, just wrapped in its own beautiful traditions.
Enjoy your film night, and I shall see you very soon.
Ho ho ho, Santa
