by Lea, age 8 from Noumea, New Caledonia, asks Santa about his Christmas sleigh, the world-famous lagoon, and blended Kanak-French traditions.
Dear Santa, my name is Lea, and I am eight years old. I live in Noumea, New Caledonia, where my mamie says our lagoon is one of the largest and most beautiful in the entire world.
Dear Lea, that lagoon glows like a giant turquoise jewel from up in the sleigh, your mamie picked a truly stunning hometown.
Santa, I have three questions.
Do you have a Christmas sleigh? My petit frere wants to know if it can float on water too, since we live so close to the lagoon.
I do have a sleigh, Lea, though I will admit it has never been tested on water. For a lagoon as beautiful as yours, I might just make an exception and find out.
My teacher says our lagoon is protected as a World Heritage site because it is so large and so important. Is that true?
It is true, Lea, New Caledonia’s lagoon is recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage site, one of the largest coral lagoon systems anywhere on Earth. I always fly a slow, admiring pass over that shimmering water.
My mamie says our traditions blend French customs with the older Kanak culture of the islands. Is that true?
It is true, Lea, New Caledonia’s Christmas blends French traditions with the rich, older culture of the Kanak people, creating something wonderfully, distinctly your own. That blending of old and new is really a beautiful thing to witness on my route.
Merry Christmas, Santa.
Your friend,
Lea Wamytan
Noumea, New Caledonia
P.S. Will you tell us if the sleigh actually floats this year?
I promise a full report, Lea, science in the name of Christmas.
