by Grace from Cleveland asks Santa about a real house, learns about Lake Erie, and hears how the Cuyahoga River sparked real environmental change
Dear Santa, my name is Grace and I am nine years old. I live in Cleveland, Ohio, where my dad says our winters off the lake are famous for something called lake-effect snow, and he is not exaggerating even a little.
Dear Grace, I have flown through that lake-effect snow personally, and your dad’s warning is entirely fair. I pack extra goggles just for Cleveland.
Santa, I have three questions.
My first question is, is the Christmas Story house real? My cousin says you can actually visit a real house from that movie, but I was not sure if that was true.
It is true, Grace. There really is a house people can visit that was used in that famous movie, now set up as a small museum, and it draws visitors from all over. I always find it charming when a single house becomes part of so many families’ traditions.
My second question is about our lake. My teacher says Lake Erie is one of the biggest lakes in the whole world. Is that true?
It is, Grace. Lake Erie is one of the five Great Lakes, and though it is the smallest by volume, it still holds an enormous amount of water. Flying low over its frozen surface on a clear Christmas Eve, moonlight glinting off the ice, is a genuinely beautiful sight.
My third question is about our river. My teacher says the Cuyahoga River actually caught on fire once, a long time ago, and that it changed some important laws. Is that true?
It is entirely true, Grace. The Cuyahoga River famously caught fire due to pollution in 1969, and the event helped spark greater public attention toward protecting rivers and lakes, eventually contributing to important environmental laws in the United States. It is a good reminder that even a difficult moment can lead a whole community to do better.
Merry Christmas, Santa.
Your friend,
Grace Miller
Cleveland, Ohio
P.S. Do you visit the Christmas Story house every year?
I try to, Grace. It would feel wrong not to.
