Dear Santa,
I know full well that it would be hard to read my letter which is one of millions that you receive every year around this time.
Santa, I am a girl from the Levant who arrived with her parents to the USA five years ago and I know you make wishes come true when they are sent to you; but me, Santa, I do not want a toy or a woolen cap. I may not be able to wait for you all night long, but I am standing in front of the chimney to give you my letter when you arrive. On that night, I will ask my parents not to light up the fireplace to keep you and your white beard safe.
Santa when you visit the Levant, my wish is for you to throw seeds of love so that they fall on the ground and grow like trees. The Levant needs one present and one present only, and that is love…that it may grow on its roads…in its homes…in the hearts of officials…in the hearts of fighters…in the hearts of snipers…in the hearts of all those who say I am Arab!
Please remember Santa, when you are in your sleigh being pulled by the reindeer over the clouds, ask the cannons and launchers to plant love with every rocket…let love grow in every senior, youth, and child…let love grow between every faction…grow between every religion.
Santa, let the fighter carrying his rifle release the bullets and fires of love…let the one holding a hand grenade to let it explode with love, so its shrapnel reaches hate-filled hearts.
Santa, I feel I do not belong in a land far from my roots with a different language, different culture, and different customs. Please plant my homeland with flowers and roses and return me there.
Sincerely, …
That was the letter from an innocent Houstonian child to Santa Claus. Since she does not know his address, she came with her mom to the offices of Lebanon Times to give us this letter so that we can forward it to him, as she thought the magazine would know where he lived.
And now what is the story of Santa Claus or Saint Nicholas?
The story all began with Saint Nicholas, a bishop who lived in the fourth century A.D. He used to visit poor individuals and needy families nightly, and bring them provisions and gifts without their knowledge.
In French, “Papa Nôel” literally means Father Christmas. People would imagine a benevolent old man, with a large girth, a beard white as snow, wearing red clothes, and riding a magical carriage that is pulled by reindeer and carrying presents that will be given to children when he goes down the chimney or through the window.
The imagery of Santa was created by American poet Clark Morris who wrote the poem “The Night before Christmas” in 1823, where he describes the beloved figure on Christmas Eve.
In 1860, an American artist made the first drawing of the first Santa Claus as we know it today by using European stories about him. As a result, this persona became famous in America, then in Europe, and then in the rest of the world.
Here is the commentary of Lebanon Times: Santa Claus or Saint Nicholas has become the beloved star of both young and old, both men and especially women for as long as he carries a bag full of presents!