by Amanda, age 9, writes to Santa from Valparaiso, Chile, and asks what does santa eat on christmas eve?
Dear Santa,
My name is Amanda, and I am 9 years old. I live in Valparaiso, Chile, where her tio says the hills covered in colorful houses look like a rainbow spilling down toward the sea.
Dear Amanda, that is exactly the sort of detail I like to hear about Valparaiso. It tells me you are paying close attention to the world around you, which is a fine habit to keep. Please keep noticing things like that.
Santa, I have three questions. First, what does Santa eat on Christmas Eve? My dad and I were arguing about it at breakfast.
Whatever kind souls like you leave out for me, which by the end of the night adds up to an enormous and slightly alarming variety of cookies, milk, and the occasional carrot for the reindeer.
Second, my grandpa was telling us about the Pacific Ocean, which stretches out right past the busy port near her home. Do you fly over that on your Christmas Eve route?
Every single year, without fail. The pacific ocean, which stretches out right past the busy port near her home is one of the sights the reindeer look forward to most, and I always tell the newer reindeer to watch closely as we pass over, because there are not many views in the whole wide world quite like it. Rudolph tends to slow down just a little right there, and I have learned not to rush him.
Third, is it true that in Chile? My family was talking about it and I want to know if it is real.
It certainly is true. In chile, many towns hold a christmas eve mass called misa de gallo, the rooster’s mass, held right around midnight. I think that is a wonderful thing for a family to talk about, because customs like that are exactly what make Chile feel like Chile, and they are precisely the sort of thing that keeps a community close together, especially in the winter months.
Thank you for your letter and your good questions, Amanda. Keep noticing the world around you, keep asking honest questions, and keep being kind to the people in Valparaiso. That is the whole spirit of Christmas right there. Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas, Santa.
Your friend,
Amanda
Valparaiso, Chile
P.S. Does Viejito Pascuero ever visit Valparaiso too, or is that only your job?
We split the map fairly evenly, and Viejito Pascuero handles that part of the world beautifully. Consider it a very old and very friendly arrangement.
