by Emilija, age 8 from Vilnius, Lithuania, asks Santa about yard decorations, Vilnius’s medieval old town, and Lithuania’s independence.
Dear Santa, my name is Emilija, and I am eight years old. I live in Vilnius, Lithuania, where my mociute says our old town is one of the largest and best preserved medieval old towns anywhere in Europe.
Dear Emilija, a whole medieval old town glowing under Christmas lights sounds like one of the prettiest landing spots on my entire route, your mociute picked a wonderful place to live.
Santa, I have three questions.
Can I put Christmas yard decorations? My tevelis wants to build a giant snowman out of lights this year.
Of course you can, Emilija, and a giant light-up snowman sounds like exactly the kind of ambitious project I love seeing in a front yard. Tell your tevelis I will be watching closely on my way past.
My teacher says Vilnius has one of the largest medieval old towns still standing in all of Europe. Is that true?
It is true, Emilija, Vilnius’s old town is recognized as one of the largest and best preserved in Europe, protected as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. I always fly a little slower over those old cobblestone streets, out of respect for how much history is packed into them.
My mociute says Lithuania became independent from a much bigger country back in 1990. Is that true?
It is true, Emilija, Lithuania was the very first Baltic state to declare independence from the Soviet Union, back in 1990. That courage to stand up for your own identity is a good thing to remember, especially at Christmas, when being true to who you are matters so much.
Merry Christmas, Santa.
Your friend,
Emilija Kazlauskas
Vilnius, Lithuania
P.S. Can you help my tevelis’s giant snowman actually look like a snowman?
I will offer gentle design advice, Emilija, though ambitious projects like that deserve some artistic freedom too.
