by Aino, age 8, writes to Santa from Helsinki, Finland, and asks how fast does santa’s sleigh go?
Dear Santa,
My name is Aino, and I am 8 years old. I live in Helsinki, Finland, where her mummo lights a candle at the cemetery every Christmas Eve to remember relatives who have passed.
Dear Aino, that is exactly the sort of detail I like to hear about Helsinki. It tells me you are paying close attention to the world around you, which is a fine habit to keep. Please keep noticing things like that.
Santa, I have three questions. First, how fast does Santa’s sleigh go? My mom and I were arguing about it at breakfast.
Fast enough to visit every child in every time zone in a single night, which my elves tell me is technically impossible, and which I have therefore stopped explaining and simply keep doing anyway.
Second, my teacher was telling us about the Baltic Sea, which freezes along the edges of the harbor near her home most winters. Do you fly over that on your Christmas Eve route?
Every single year, without fail. The baltic sea, which freezes along the edges of the harbor near her home most winters is one of the sights the reindeer look forward to most, and I always tell the newer reindeer to watch closely as we pass over, because there are not many views in the whole wide world quite like it. Rudolph tends to slow down just a little right there, and I have learned not to rush him.
Third, is it true that in Finland? My family was talking about it and I want to know if it is real.
It certainly is true. In finland, many families visit a sauna together on christmas eve afternoon before sitting down to their holiday meal. I think that is a wonderful thing for a family to talk about, because customs like that are exactly what make Finland feel like Finland, and they are precisely the sort of thing that keeps a community close together, especially in the winter months.
Thank you for your letter and your good questions, Aino. Keep noticing the world around you, keep asking honest questions, and keep being kind to the people in Helsinki. That is the whole spirit of Christmas right there. Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas, Santa.
Your friend,
Aino
Helsinki, Finland
P.S. Does Joulupukki ever visit Helsinki too, or is that only your job?
We split the map fairly evenly, and Joulupukki handles that part of the world beautifully. Consider it a very old and very friendly arrangement.
