by Matti, age 8 from Hamburg, Germany, asks Santa his age, Hamburg’s busy port, and the Speicherstadt warehouse district.
Dear Santa, my name is Matti, and I am eight years old. I live in Hamburg, Germany, where my oma says our harbor is one of the biggest and busiest in all of Europe.
Dear Matti, a harbor that busy makes for one of the liveliest landings on my entire European route, your oma picked a truly bustling hometown.
Santa, I have three questions.
How old is Santa? My little brother thinks you might be a thousand years old.
I have been at this job for so long that counting the exact years stopped mattering ages ago, Matti. Let us just say I am precisely as old as Christmas spirit itself, which never seems to age a single day.
My oma says Hamburg’s port is one of the biggest in the whole of Europe. Is that true?
It is true, Matti, Hamburg’s harbor is one of the largest and busiest ports on the entire continent, ships arriving from all over the world. I always enjoy that lively, glowing waterfront on my way to your rooftop.
My oma says a whole old warehouse district here is so special it was given a special international honor. Is that true?
It is true, Matti, the Speicherstadt warehouse district was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, its tall red brick buildings a proud piece of your city’s history. That kind of careful preservation, keeping old craftsmanship alive, is really worth celebrating.
Merry Christmas, Santa.
Your friend,
Matti Schafer
Hamburg, Germany
P.S. Will you tell my little brother your real age, just this once?
I already have, Matti, right here in this very letter, exactly as old as Christmas spirit.
