by Jack, age 9, writes to Santa from Duluth, Minnesota, United States, and asks who Santa Claus really is.
Dear Santa,
My name is Jack, and I am 9 years old. I live in Duluth, Minnesota, United States, where the lake behind his house freezes so solid that his dad drives a truck right out onto the ice.
Dear Jack, that is exactly the sort of detail I like to hear about Duluth, Minnesota. It tells me you are paying attention to the world around you, which is the first step toward being a thoughtful person. Keep noticing things like that.
Santa, I have three questions. First, who is Santa Claus? My dad says that is what some people call you where they live, but I do not really understand who that is.
Santa Claus is what folks in United States affectionately call my old colleague, and in most every way, he and I are one and the same spirit of Christmas kindness, just wearing a name that fits the local language and the local customs. Every culture has shaped its own version of the story over the centuries, but underneath all the different names, it is always the same idea: someone who shows up in the cold and dark of winter to remind people that generosity matters. I am honored to answer to so many names.
Second, my grandpa was telling us about Lake Superior, the biggest of the Great Lakes, which sits right at the edge of his town. Do you fly over that on your Christmas Eve route?
Every single year, without fail. Lake superior, the biggest of the great lakes, which sits right at the edge of his town is one of the sights the reindeer look forward to most, and I always tell the new reindeer on the team to watch closely as we pass over, because there are not many views in the whole wide world quite like it. Rudolph usually slows down just a little right there, and I have learned not to rush him.
Third, is it true that the in United States? My family was talking about it at dinner and I want to know if it is real.
It certainly is true. The modern image of santa claus in a red suit became popular in the united states thanks largely to 19th century illustrations and advertisements. I think that is a wonderful thing for a family to talk about at the dinner table, because customs like that are what make United States feel like United States, and they are exactly the sort of thing that keeps a community close together, especially in the winter months.
Thank you for your letter and your good questions, Jack. Keep noticing the world around you, keep asking honest questions, and keep being kind to the people in Duluth, Minnesota. That is the whole spirit of Christmas right there. Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas, Santa.
Your friend,
Jack
Duluth, Minnesota, United States
P.S. Do you and Santa Claus ever compare notes on which one of you has the harder route?
Constantly. So far it remains a friendly and entirely unresolved argument.
