by A scooter-riding girl in Chicago asks why Santa wears red, what the Great Lakes are, and why skyscrapers were invented
A Letter to Santa from Chicago, Illinois
Dear Santa,
Hi Santa! My name is Mia and I am 7 years old. I live in Chicago, Illinois, the Windy City, with tall buildings that seem to touch the clouds and a giant lake at its edge. I love deep-dish pizza and riding my scooter. My question is: why does Santa Claus wear red? My geography question is: what are the Great Lakes? And my social studies question is: why were skyscrapers invented? Thanks, Santa!
Love, Mia (age 7)
Santa’s Reply
Ho ho ho, hello Mia! A scooter rider in the Windy City asks a colorful question. I wear red for a few cheerful reasons. Long ago, Saint Nicholas, the kind man I grew from, was a bishop, and bishops often wore red robes. Over the years, artists drew me in bright red, and that became my signature look in pictures for well over a hundred years. Red is also warm, jolly, and easy to spot against the white snow on a dark winter night. So my red suit is part history and part good sense.
Your geography question: the Great Lakes
The Great Lakes are five enormous freshwater lakes in the heart of your own United States, and your Chicago sits right on the shore of one of them, Lake Michigan. They are so big that they look like seas, with waves, beaches, and ships. Together they hold a huge share of the world’s fresh water. Read more at National Geographic Kids.
Your social studies question: why skyscrapers were invented
Skyscrapers were invented when growing cities ran out of room to spread outward, so clever builders decided to build upward instead. Your own Chicago is famous as a birthplace of the skyscraper, where new steel frames let buildings rise higher than ever before. Building up let many more people live and work in a small space. Explore more at Britannica Kids.
Ride your scooter safely for me, Mia. Yours warmly from the North Pole, Santa Claus.
