by Ji-ho, age 8, writes to Santa from Seoul, South Korea, and asks who Santa Harabeoji really is.
Dear Santa,
My name is Ji-ho, and I am 8 years old. I live in Seoul, South Korea, where his halmeoni makes him bow twice to his elders every New Year, not just once.
Dear Ji-ho, that is exactly the sort of detail I like to hear about Seoul. 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 Harabeoji? My mom says that is what some people call you where they live, but I do not really understand who that is.
Santa Harabeoji is what folks in South Korea 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 teacher was telling us about the Han River, which cuts straight through the middle of his enormous city. Do you fly over that on your Christmas Eve route?
Every single year, without fail. The han river, which cuts straight through the middle of his enormous city 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 christmas in South Korea? My family was talking about it at dinner and I want to know if it is real.
It certainly is true. Christmas is a public holiday in south korea, one of the few asian countries where it is officially a day off work and school. I think that is a wonderful thing for a family to talk about at the dinner table, because customs like that are what make South Korea feel like South Korea, 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, Ji-ho. Keep noticing the world around you, keep asking honest questions, and keep being kind to the people in Seoul. That is the whole spirit of Christmas right there. Merry Christmas.
Merry Christmas, Santa.
Your friend,
Ji-ho
Seoul, South Korea
P.S. Do you and Santa Harabeoji ever compare notes on which one of you has the harder route?
Constantly. So far it remains a friendly and entirely unresolved argument.
