by Sofía from Buenos Aires asks Santa how to care for her plant, learns about Argentina’s long geography, and hears about the Nochebuena asado tradition
Dear Santa, my name is Sofía and I am nine years old. I live in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where my tía says our Christmas dinner does not even start until it is nearly midnight, which used to confuse me a lot as a little kid.
Dear Sofía, it confused me a little too, the first few centuries. I have since learned to plan my Argentina deliveries around that very late, very lively dinner.
Santa, I have three questions.
My first question is, how do I care for a Christmas cactus? Mine has not bloomed even once and my abuela says I am not doing something right.
Your abuela may be onto something, Sofía. A Christmas cactus generally likes bright but indirect light, a little less water in autumn, and cooler nights to trigger its blooms. Patience helps too. Mine at the workshop took three years before it finally decided to cooperate.
My second question is about our country. My teacher says Argentina is one of the longest countries in the world from north to south. Is that true?
It is, Sofía. Argentina stretches an enormous distance from its warm northern border almost down toward Antarctica, which means I fly through wildly different climates in a single Argentine night, from humid heat to icy southern winds.
My third question is about Nochebuena. My whole family gathers for a big asado, a barbecue, late on Christmas Eve, and then there are fireworks at midnight. Why fireworks?
Nochebuena, Christmas Eve, is the true heart of Argentine Christmas, Sofía, with families gathering for a festive asado and staying up until midnight, when fireworks light up the sky across the whole country to mark the moment Christmas officially begins. It is a beautifully loud, joyful way for an entire nation to celebrate the same instant together.
Merry Christmas, Santa.
Your friend,
Sofía Gómez
Buenos Aires, Argentina
P.S. Do the fireworks scare the reindeer?
Every year, Sofía, except Rudolph, who insists on watching from the very front.
