by Meera from Kochi asks Santa how many days are left, learns about Kerala’s backwaters, and hears about India’s mango-tree Christmas tradition
Dear Santa, my name is Meera and I am eight years old. I live in Kochi, in Kerala, India, where my paati says our house smells like spices all year, not just at Christmas.
Dear Meera, I have noticed that on every visit, and I always fly a little slower over Kerala just to enjoy it.
Santa, I have three questions.
My first question is, how many days until Christmas? My little cousin asks me this every single morning starting in October and I am tired of counting for her.
Tell your cousin that counting down is half the fun, Meera, even if it does get repetitive by December. A calendar with the days crossed off is one of the oldest and simplest joys of the whole season.
My second question is about Kerala. My teacher says our state is famous for its quiet water canals. What are they called, and are they really that important?
They are called the backwaters, Meera, a beautiful network of lagoons, lakes, and canals running along the coast of Kerala. I fly low over them on my way in, watching the houseboats glide by, and it is one of the calmest, most peaceful stretches on my entire route.
My third question is, why do some families in Kerala decorate a mango or banana tree instead of a pine tree, since I have never actually seen a pine tree near my house?
That is a wonderful, practical Indian tradition, Meera. Since pine trees are rare in much of India, many Christian families decorate mango, banana, or other local trees instead, filling them with lights and ornaments just the same. Christmas is even an official holiday across India, celebrated warmly alongside the country’s many other traditions, and I think decorating whatever tree grows nearby is exactly the right spirit.
Merry Christmas, Santa.
Your friend,
Meera Nair
Kochi, Kerala, India
P.S. Will you fly slowly over the backwaters again this year?
Every year, Meera. It is one of my favorite parts of the whole night.
