by Aigerim, age 9 from Almaty, Kazakhstan, asks Santa about Christmas plates, the Tian Shan Mountains, and Kazakhstan’s religious communities.
Dear Santa, my name is Aigerim, and I am nine years old. I live in Almaty, Kazakhstan, where my apa says the Tian Shan mountains rise up right at the edge of our city, snowy and enormous.
Dear Aigerim, those mountains have guided more than one lost reindeer back on course over the years, your apa picked a wonderfully dramatic backdrop for a hometown.
Santa, I have three questions.
Can I get Christmas plates? My ana wants a matching set for our New Year table this year.
Of course, Aigerim, festive plates make any table feel a little more special. Whether you call it a Christmas table or a New Year table, good dishes and good company always go together nicely.
My teacher says Kazakhstan is the largest country in the world that does not touch any ocean. Is that true?
It is true, Aigerim, Kazakhstan is the largest landlocked country on Earth, with no coastline at all, just enormous stretches of steppe and mountains. I always plan my route carefully to cross that huge distance.
My apa says most people in Kazakhstan are Muslim, but there is also a Christian community that celebrates Christmas on January 7th. Is that true?
It is true, Aigerim, Kazakhstan is home to a Muslim majority alongside a Russian Orthodox Christian community, who follow an older calendar and celebrate Christmas on January 7th. It is a good reminder that neighbors can hold very different traditions and still share the same warm sense of community.
Merry Christmas, Santa.
Your friend,
Aigerim Nazarbayeva
Almaty, Kazakhstan
P.S. Will you visit twice, once in December and once in January?
For a family like yours, Aigerim, I will happily mark both dates on my calendar.
