by Ugne, age 8, asks how much Christmas trees cost, about the Baltic Sea, and Lithuanian independence
Dear Santa,
Labas from Vilnius. My name is Ugne and I am 8 years old. Our main square gets a giant Christmas tree every year, so tall it takes a crane to decorate the very top, and my dad always jokes that it must have cost more than our car.
My first question is: how much does a Christmas tree actually cost, from small to very large?
My second question is geography: what sea does Lithuania border?
My third question is from school: why did Lithuania need to regain its independence in 1990?
I left you saldainiai chocolates and a slice of poppy seed roll.
Love, Ugne, age 8, Vilnius, Lithuania
From the Desk of Father Christmas
Dear Ugne, the poppy seed roll was wonderfully soft, and the chocolates did not last long at all. Now, to settle your dad’s car comparison, and your other questions.
How much does a Christmas tree cost, from small to very large?
Prices vary a great deal depending on size and type. A small tabletop tree might cost about the same as a nice family meal out, while an average six to seven foot tree for a living room usually costs somewhere in the middle range, comparable to a nice pair of winter boots. Very large trees, like the sort found in grand public squares reaching many metres tall, cost vastly more once you include the cost of the tree itself, the crane needed to lift it, the huge quantity of lights and decorations, and the labour to put it all together safely. So while your dad’s joke is an exaggeration for an ordinary tree, for a truly giant square tree, it might actually be closer to the truth than he realises.
What sea does Lithuania border?
Lithuania sits along the Baltic Sea, with a beautiful stretch of coastline near the port city of Klaipeda, and the unique Curonian Spit, a long thin strip of sand dunes shared with Russia, sits just along the coast.
Why did Lithuania need to regain its independence in 1990?
Lithuania had been an independent country before the Second World War, but was then occupied and incorporated into the Soviet Union for decades afterward. In 1990, as the Soviet Union began to weaken, Lithuania became the first Soviet republic to formally declare independence again, a bold and historic step that other nearby countries soon followed, eventually leading to the full collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Tell your dad the tree probably really did cost more than the car, and I shall see you very soon.
Ho ho ho, Santa
