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Before Christmas 1963, the employees of a Finnish newspaper asked Tove Janssen to write a response to all the numerous letters to Santa Claus received by the editors. The Moomin author wrote a letter on behalf of Santa and illustrated it herself. Here is an unusual message.
My dear little friend! How are you? This is Santa Claus writing to you. I’m quite old and a bit lonely, so I like letters. You see, it’s very nice to think about how, all over the world, little children whom I have never seen remember me and write letters to me. Some write about gifts – for themselves and their friends. Some write to say thank you. Some are just to chat. But they all remembered me, and it’s nice. You see, all year I live a rather closed and lonely life.
I’m waiting for winter to come and trying to guess what guys like you dream about and what you need.
Pass the tests
- Are you good at giving gifts?
And then, one fine night, I hear the first snow fall. The snow is falling, making the world soft and white and kind, so quiet and easy that only I, Santa Claus, can hear it. So I know that Christmas is coming soon: the most unusual evening and night of the year; the longest and darkest night of the year, burning with a million candles. A long time ago, Christ was born on this night, and therefore on this night everyone tries to be friends with each other.
So I open the door of my hut, sniff the north wind and ring my silver bell. Soon rustling and whispering are heard in the forest not far from the house. Christmas gnomes, nature spirits and other winter creatures appear from all directions, some on skis, some on snowshoes, some on foot wading through snowdrifts, some riding gray deer with velvety black eyes. When everyone is assembled, I take out all the letters accumulated over the year, all the Christmas dreams and wishes, and we roll up our sleeves and get to work.
It is very important that everyone gets exactly what he thought of (within reasonable limits), so that no one is left without a gift, and it is also important not to confuse anything in the addresses, check that the gifts are packed in neat bundles, prepare a couple of surprises and check that even those who are embarrassed to ask for something were not left without a gift.
Then part of ours turns invisible and flies around the world in the form of a whisper in the head of parents when they come up with what to give their children. We also remind people of those who might otherwise be left without a gift at all. We’re having a great time! And I’m never lonely at this time of year because I have all the children of the world and all their hopes and dreams in my head.
Read more:
- What do our children dream of?
The snows of Finland are ablaze in the sparkling light of the Northern Lights. The snow around my hut is streaked with traces of small hasty feet, and inside it a mountain of prepared gifts is constantly growing.
And then comes Christmas night – quiet and solemn. All gifts delivered and received. Huge stars are burning above the Earth, and I, dressed in my wolf fur coat, climb alone to the top of Korvatunturi, sit on the snow and make a wish: that you all be happy and love each other as much as possible.
And not to forget about me.
Regards,
Always yours,
Santa Claus