by A rugby-playing boy in Cape Town asks if Santa is actually real, what a cape is, and why his country has many languages
A Letter to Santa from Cape Town, South Africa
Dear Santa,
Hello Santa! My name is Thabo and I am 8 years old. I live in Cape Town, in South Africa, with a giant flat-topped mountain right behind my house. I love rugby and birdwatching. I want to ask you very seriously: is Santa Claus actually real? My geography question is: what is a cape? And my social studies question is: why does South Africa have so many languages? Ngiyabonga, Santa!
Love, Thabo (age 8)
Santa’s Reply
Ho ho ho, hello Thabo! A boy who plays rugby and watches birds beneath Table Mountain has a fine, curious mind. You asked, very seriously, if I am actually real, and you deserve an honest answer: yes, actually, in the realest way there is. I am the spirit of giving made cheerful and round. You will never bump into me at the shops, but you feel me every time someone is generous for no reason at all. That feeling is as real as the mountain behind your house, and it lives in people all over the world.
Your geography question: what is a cape
A cape is a piece of land that reaches out into the sea, often where two bodies of water meet. Near your own Cape Town is the famous Cape of Good Hope, a place where sailors have navigated for centuries. Capes are important landmarks that help ships find their way. Read more at National Geographic Kids.
Your social studies question: South Africa’s many languages
South Africa has many languages because many different groups of people, each with their own history, live together as one country. In fact, South Africa has eleven official languages, which is one of the most in the world. Respecting all of those languages is a way of saying that every group and its culture matters. Explore more at Britannica Kids.
Score a try for me, Thabo. Yours warmly from the North Pole, Santa Claus.
