by Rosa, age 8, asks where to place a tree, about Machu Picchu, and Santurantikuy
Dear Santa,
Hola from Lima. My name is Rosa and I am 8 years old. Every year my mum spends ages deciding exactly where in our small flat the tree should go, moving it from corner to corner until my dad finally says it looked fine three moves ago.
My first question is: where is the best place to put a Christmas tree in a house?
My second question is geography: what famous ancient site sits high in the Andes in Peru?
My third question is from school: what is Santurantikuy, and why is it special in Cusco?
I left you a slice of paneton and a cup of hot chocolate.
Love, Rosa, age 8, Lima, Peru
From the Desk of Father Christmas
Dear Rosa, paneton and hot chocolate is a lovely, warming combination, and I fully sympathise with your mum’s search for the perfect corner. Now, to help her out, and answer your other questions.
Where is the best place to put a Christmas tree?
The best spot is usually away from direct heat sources like radiators, fireplaces, or heating vents, since heat can dry out a real tree quickly and is simply not ideal for an artificial one either. A spot near a window lets the lights be seen from outside in the evening, which many families love, though it is worth avoiding a spot in direct strong sunlight all day. Beyond that, it really comes down to space and safety, somewhere it will not be knocked over easily and where the family can still walk comfortably around it. Your dad may well be right that the third corner your mum tried was the best one all along.
What famous ancient site sits high in the Andes in Peru?
That would be Machu Picchu, an incredible Inca city built high in the Andes mountains around the 15th century, later hidden from much of the outside world for centuries until it was rediscovered in 1911. It sits perched on a ridge between two peaks, and visitors still marvel at how such an advanced city could be built in such a dramatic, remote location.
What is Santurantikuy?
Santurantikuy is a large and treasured craft fair held every year on Christmas Eve in the main square of Cusco, where artisans sell handmade nativity figures, ornaments, and religious art, some of which have been crafted by the same families for generations. Its name comes from Quechua, meaning the selling of saints, and it has become such an important cultural event that it is recognised as part of Peru’s living heritage.
Tell your mum the tree looks lovely wherever she finally settles, and I shall see you very soon.
Ho ho ho, Santa
