by Adeline, age 9 from Albany, New York, asks Santa about his earlier appearances, the Hudson River, and cartoonist Thomas Nast’s influence.
Dear Santa, my name is Adeline, and I am nine years old. I live in Albany, New York, where my grandma says our city is one of the oldest surviving settlements from the original thirteen colonies.
Dear Adeline, a settlement with roots that deep deserves a very respectful flyover, your grandma picked a truly historic hometown.
Santa, I have three questions.
What did Santa look like before Coca-Cola? My teacher showed us some old drawings that looked really different from what I usually see.
Long before that particular soda company came along, Adeline, artists like Thomas Nast drew me in various styles, sometimes thinner, sometimes in robes of green or blue rather than red. My look has shifted a bit over the centuries, though the warm spirit underneath has always stayed exactly the same.
My grandma says Albany sits right along the Hudson River. Is that true?
It is true, Adeline, the Hudson River flows right past your city on its long journey to the sea. I always follow that glimmering path to help find my way to your rooftop.
My grandma says a famous artist who helped shape how people picture me actually worked in New York a long time ago. Is that true?
It is true, Adeline, Thomas Nast, an influential cartoonist working in New York during the 1800s, helped popularize much of the jolly, red-suited image people picture today. Art has a wonderful way of shaping how a story gets told and remembered.
Merry Christmas, Santa.
Your friend,
Adeline Whitmore
Albany, New York
P.S. Do you miss any of your old looks from before?
Only a little, Adeline, though red truly does suit me best.
