by Selma, age 7, asks Deda Mraz do you wear a long robe like the Russian Santa, or a short jacket?, about the Dinaric Alps, and Sarajevo’s mosques, churches, and synagogues
Dear Deda Mraz,
My name is Selma and I am 7 years old. I live in Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, where you can hear the call to prayer and church bells ring out almost at the same time, and my street has three different holiday lights strung between the buildings.
First, do you wear a long robe like the Russian Santa, or a short jacket?
Second, a geography question: what mountains surround Sarajevo?
Third, a school question about my country: why does Sarajevo have mosques, churches, and synagogues so close together?
I left you dried figs and walnuts and a cup of tea.
Love, Selma, age 7, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina
From the Desk of Deda Mraz
Dear Selma, thank you for the treat, it was wonderful. Now, your questions.
Do you wear a long robe like the Russian Santa, or a short jacket?
A long robe, generally, though styled a bit differently to suit the Balkan winters, which have their own particular chill.
What mountains surround Sarajevo?
Sarajevo sits in a valley ringed by the Dinaric Alps, with peaks like Trebevic and Bjelasnica rising up close around the city, which makes for a spectacular, sparkling approach by sleigh on a clear winter night.
Why does Sarajevo have mosques, churches, and synagogues so close together?
Sarajevo has been a crossroads city for hundreds of years, where Muslim, Christian, and Jewish communities settled and built their places of worship near one another, often within a short walk. This mix of cultures and faiths living side by side is one of the things that has long made the city special.
Srecan Bozic, Selma.
Ho ho ho, Deda Mraz
