by Esperança from Praia asks Santa about different names for him, learns about Cape Verde’s volcanic islands, and hears about the country’s morna music tradition
Dear Santa, my name is Esperança and I am nine years old. I live in Praia, Cape Verde, where my avó says our islands were formed entirely by volcanoes rising straight up out of the ocean, long, long ago.
Dear Esperança, I have flown over those very volcanic islands many times, and your avó’s description is entirely accurate.
Santa, I have three questions.
My first question is, do you know Christmas names, like different words for you used around the world? My cousin in Portugal calls you something slightly different than we do here.
I know a great many, Esperança, and Cape Verde’s own name for me, shaped by Portuguese heritage, is one I have always been fond of. It is remarkable how many warm, generous names one person can quietly collect over the centuries.
My second question is about our islands. My teacher says all our islands came from volcanoes. Is that true?
It is, Esperança. Cape Verde’s islands were formed by volcanic activity rising from the seafloor, creating a rugged, striking landscape unlike many other island nations. Flying over that dramatic, volcanic terrain each Christmas Eve is a genuinely memorable part of my route.
My third question is about morna music. My whole family plays it during Christmas gatherings, and it always sounds a little sad and a little happy at the same time. Why does it sound like that?
Morna is a beautiful, deeply emotional musical style native to Cape Verde, Esperança, often expressing longing, love, and hope all woven together, reflecting the islands’ own history of connection and distance across the ocean. I think music capable of holding both joy and longing at once captures something honest about the whole spirit of Christmas too.
Merry Christmas, Santa.
Your friend,
Esperança Silva
Praia, Cape Verde
P.S. Do you have a favorite morna song?
I do, Esperança, though I will admit I hum it more than I sing it properly.
