by Yun, age 8 from Beijing, China, asks Santa about the color Christmas red, the Great Wall of China, and red as a lucky color in Chinese culture.
Dear Santa, my name is Yun, and I am eight years old. I live in Beijing, China, where my nainai says an ancient wall built to protect the whole country still stretches for thousands of miles not far from our city.
Dear Yun, a wall that long deserves a very slow, very respectful flyover, your nainai picked a truly monumental hometown.
Santa, I have three questions.
Do you like Christmas red? My nainai says red is already our luckiest color, so our decorations always have extra of it.
I love Christmas red, Yun, and I think it is a wonderful coincidence that it happens to be your luckiest color too. Extra red decorations sound like double the good fortune, wrapped up together with the season.
My teacher says the Great Wall of China stretches for thousands of miles. Is that true?
It is true, Yun, the Great Wall winds for thousands of miles across China’s northern regions, one of the most massive structures ever built by hand. I always fly a slow, admiring pass over it on my way to your rooftop.
My nainai says red has always been considered a lucky, happy color in Chinese culture, long before Christmas ever arrived here. Is that true?
It is true, Yun, red has symbolized luck, happiness, and celebration in Chinese culture for a very long time, used at weddings, New Year, and other joyful occasions. It fits rather nicely that Christmas red and Chinese lucky red share the very same shade.
Merry Christmas, Santa.
Your friend,
Yun Li
Beijing, China
P.S. Can my stocking be extra red this year, for extra luck?
I will make sure the elves use the reddest red available, Yun, luck deserves proper attention to detail.
