by Isabella, age 8, asks why neighbourhoods do big lights displays, about the Everglades, and Miami’s culture
Dear Santa,
Hey Santa, from Miami. My name is Isabella and I am 8 years old. Every December my family drives through a neighbourhood a little way from us where every single house goes all out with lights, some even set to music, and traffic practically stops just so people can look.
My first question is: why do whole neighbourhoods put on such big Christmas lights displays together?
My second question is geography: what large wetland is near Miami?
My third question is from school: why is Miami such a culturally diverse, Latino-influenced city?
I left you a slice of key lime pie and a glass of cold cafecito.
Love, Isabella, age 8, Miami, Florida, USA
From the Desk of Father Christmas
Dear Isabella, key lime pie and cafecito is about as Miami as a snack could possibly be, and I loved every bite. Now, to your neighbourhood lights question, and your others.
Why do whole neighbourhoods put on big lights displays together?
Once one house on a street puts up an especially dazzling display, neighbours often catch the spirit and want to join in, creating a kind of friendly, festive competition that grows year after year. Entire neighbourhoods have become famous for this, drawing visitors from far away who drive slowly through just to admire the lights, sometimes synchronised to music using special controllers. It becomes a real community tradition, a way for a whole street to share a little bit of holiday magic with everyone who passes by, traffic jam included.
What large wetland is near Miami?
The Everglades stretch out just to the west of Miami, an enormous, slow moving river of grass filled with alligators, wading birds, and unique plant life found nowhere else on Earth. It is one of the largest wetland ecosystems in the entire world.
Why is Miami such a culturally diverse, Latino-influenced city?
Over the past several decades, large numbers of people from Cuba and many other Latin American and Caribbean countries settled in Miami, bringing their languages, food, and traditions with them. That wave of immigration transformed the city into a true crossroads of cultures, which is exactly why Spanish is spoken everywhere and why a cup of cafecito is such a normal part of daily life.
Enjoy the light tour again this year, and I shall see you very soon.
Ho ho ho, Santa
