by A girl in San Diego asks how Santa died, what a tide pool is, and what the California missions were
A Letter to Santa from San Diego, California
Dear Santa,
Hi Santa! My name is Aria and I am 8 years old. I live in San Diego, California, a sunny coastal city with gentle beaches and a famous zoo. I love exploring tide pools and drawing sea creatures. A question has been bothering me: how did Santa Claus die? My geography question is: what is a tide pool? And my social studies question is: what were the California missions? Thank you, Santa!
Love, Aria (age 8)
Santa’s Reply
Ho ho ho, hello Aria! Please set that worry down gently, because I have a calm and honest answer for you. I myself have not died at all. You may be thinking of the real man I grew from, Saint Nicholas. He died peacefully of old age, long, long ago, about 1,700 years back, after a full and happy life spent helping others. There was nothing scary about it, he simply grew very old, as people do. And the most important part is that his kindness lived on far beyond him, growing over the centuries into the cheerful Santa who writes to you now.
Your geography question: what is a tide pool
A tide pool is a little pool of seawater left behind among the rocks when the ocean tide goes out. These tiny pools are bursting with life, like crabs, starfish, anemones, and small fish. Along your own San Diego coast, exploring tide pools is a wonderful way to peek into the secret world of the sea. Read more at National Geographic Kids.
Your social studies question: the California missions
The California missions were a chain of old settlements built long ago along the coast of your own California, each with a church at its center. The very first one was founded right in your San Diego. The missions are an important, and complicated, part of California’s early history, and many of their old buildings still stand today. Explore more at Britannica Kids.
Find a starfish for me, Aria. Yours warmly from the North Pole, Santa Claus.
