by Benjamin, age 8 from Little Rock, asks Kris Kringle how his name traveled from Germany to America.
A Letter to Kris Kringle from Benjamin in Little Rock, Arkansas
Dear Kris Kringle, my name is Benjamin and I am eight years old. I live in Little Rock, Arkansas, and I watched an old Christmas movie with your name in the title, so now I have questions:
- Are you just another name for Santa Claus, or are you a different person?
- Are you the Santa from the movie Miracle on 34th Street?
- Did your name come from the German word Christkind?
- Do children call you Kris Kringle or just Santa?
- Do you bring presents on Christmas Eve?
- Do you come down the chimney?
- Do you have a workshop where you make toys?
- Do you have elves helping you?
- Do you have reindeer pulling your sleigh?
- Do you look exactly like the American Santa?
- Geography: Kris Kringle’s name traveled to America mostly through German immigrants who settled in which part of the United States?
- Social Studies: How did the German word Christkindl gradually turn into the English name Kris Kringle over time?
From, Benjamin
Kris Kringle Writes Back
Are you just another name for Santa Claus, or are you a different person?
These days, mostly just another name for Santa Claus, Benjamin, though my name actually started out describing someone else entirely.
Are you the Santa from the movie Miracle on 34th Street?
Yes, I share my name with the kind old department store Santa in that classic film, which helped make Kris Kringle a household name across America.
Did your name come from the German word Christkind?
It did. My name is an English mispronunciation of the German word Christkindl, which actually referred to a completely different gift bringing figure, not an old man at all.
Do children call you Kris Kringle or just Santa?
Both, really. Some children use Kris Kringle and Santa Claus interchangeably these days, even though the names started out describing two very different traditions.
Do you bring presents on Christmas Eve?
Christmas Eve, yes, same as most other Santa Claus traditions across America.
Do you come down the chimney?
Chimney, when there is one, following the same tradition as the modern American Santa.
Do you have a workshop where you make toys?
A workshop, yes, filled with toys, though these days I share plenty of the workload with busy factories and shops around the world.
Do you have elves helping you?
Yes, a cheerful team of elves helps me prepare for the busy holiday season.
Do you have reindeer pulling your sleigh?
Reindeer, yes, pulling a sleigh through the night sky, exactly like the Santa Claus most children picture.
Do you look exactly like the American Santa?
Almost exactly, since over time my name simply became folded into the same jolly, red suited image as the modern American Santa.
Geography: Kris Kringle’s name traveled to America mostly through German immigrants who settled in which part of the United States?
My name traveled into English mostly through German speaking immigrants who settled in Pennsylvania, an area still known today for its strong Pennsylvania Dutch culture and traditions.
Social Studies: How did the German word Christkindl gradually turn into the English name Kris Kringle over time?
The German word Christkindl, meaning little Christ Child, was gradually mispronounced by English speaking neighbors until it slowly turned into Kris Kringle. Over many years, the name drifted so far from its original meaning that most people today simply think of it as another way to say Santa Claus, which shows how much language can shift as it moves between cultures.
