by Harrison, age 9 from Adelaide, Australia, asks Santa about Christmas beetles, Adelaide’s founding history, and summer Christmas traditions.
Dear Santa, my name is Harrison, and I am nine years old. I live in Adelaide, Australia, where my dad says our city is the only major one in the whole country that was never built using convict labor.
Dear Harrison, a city founded entirely by free settlers is a rather proud bit of history, your dad picked a truly thoughtful hometown.
Santa, I have three questions.
What is a Christmas beetle? My mum says they show up buzzing around our porch light every single December.
A Christmas beetle is a real, shiny scarab beetle found in Australia, Harrison, and they get their name because they appear in large numbers right around your summer holiday season. Your mum’s porch light has probably become quite the popular Christmas beetle gathering spot.
My dad says Adelaide is the only major Australian city that was never built with convict labor. Is that true?
It is true, Harrison, Adelaide was founded as a planned settlement of free colonists rather than convicts, unlike some other early Australian cities. I always admire that particular bit of careful, deliberate planning flying over your city.
My mum says Christmas here happens in the middle of summer, so barbecues and beaches are just as much a part of it as presents. Is that true?
It is true, Harrison, Australian Christmas lands right in the heart of summer, so barbecues, beaches, and backyard cricket often share the day right alongside presents and family dinners. Wherever Christmas lands on the calendar, gathering the people you love is really what matters most.
Merry Christmas, Santa.
Your friend,
Harrison Wells
Adelaide, Australia
P.S. Do the Christmas beetles ever bother the reindeer?
Mostly they just admire each other from a respectful distance, Harrison.
