Letters to Santa Claus
The Elves
Oct 2015 · Indiana University Press
5.0star
1 reviewreport
Ebook
235
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About this ebook
A “poignant” collection of real letters sent to Santa Claus—a town in Indiana—from the 1930s to the twenty-first century, from both children and adults (The New York Times).
For countless Christmases, children—and sometimes adults—have stuffed their dreams, wishes, and promises into envelopes. Over many decades, millions of these letters have poured into Santa Claus, Indiana.
Arriving from all corners of the globe, the letters ask for toys, family reunions, snow, and help for the needy—sometimes the needy being the writers themselves. They are candid, heartfelt, and often blunt. Many children wonder how Santa gets into their chimneyless homes. One child reminds Santa that she has not hit her brothers over 1,350 times that year, and another respectfully requests two million dollars in “cold cash.” One child hopes to make his life better with a time machine, an adult woman asks for a man, and one miscreant actually threatens Santa’s reindeer!
Containing more than 250 actual letters and envelopes from the naughty and nice reaching back to the 1930s, this moving book will touch hearts and bring back memories of a time in our lives when the man with a white beard and a red suit held out the hope that our wishes might come true.
“Often very affecting . . . also offers an unusual window into American history.” —Library Journal
“The letters . . . are alternately silly and somber, hilarious and heartfelt.” —The Weekly Standard
For countless Christmases, children—and sometimes adults—have stuffed their dreams, wishes, and promises into envelopes. Over many decades, millions of these letters have poured into Santa Claus, Indiana.
Arriving from all corners of the globe, the letters ask for toys, family reunions, snow, and help for the needy—sometimes the needy being the writers themselves. They are candid, heartfelt, and often blunt. Many children wonder how Santa gets into their chimneyless homes. One child reminds Santa that she has not hit her brothers over 1,350 times that year, and another respectfully requests two million dollars in “cold cash.” One child hopes to make his life better with a time machine, an adult woman asks for a man, and one miscreant actually threatens Santa’s reindeer!
Containing more than 250 actual letters and envelopes from the naughty and nice reaching back to the 1930s, this moving book will touch hearts and bring back memories of a time in our lives when the man with a white beard and a red suit held out the hope that our wishes might come true.
“Often very affecting . . . also offers an unusual window into American history.” —Library Journal
“The letters . . . are alternately silly and somber, hilarious and heartfelt.” —The Weekly Standard
Ratings and reviews
5.0
1 review
About the author
Pat Koch is founder of the Santa Claus Museum & Village in Santa Claus, Indiana. Since 1943, she has worked tirelessly to make sure every child who writes to Santa Claus receives a response. Pat received her MA in Pastoral Ministry in 2002 at the age of 70.
Emily Weisner Thompson, Executive Director of the Santa Claus Museum & Village, is a historian and author of Images of America: Santa Claus. She holds a BA in American Studies from the University of Notre Dame and an MA in History from American University.
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