EDITORIAL: Time for letters to Santa
Dec. 5—It's time again for local children to send their letters to Santa Claus — and we're excited to publish them again in an upcoming Christmas section.
Annual letters to Santa bring brutal honesty, funny requests, and sweet inquiries on the reindeer and the elves. This long-standing tradition is something the McAlester News-Capital is proud to uphold in delivering those letters and ending the year on a light, positive note over the holidays.
Last year, we printed more than 200 letters to Santa from children in the area.
We also took a look at letters to Santa published a century ago.
Most of the children's letters published in 1921 requested candy, nuts and fruit.
Several girls asked for dolls, ribbons, and clothes. Lots of boys requested sports stuff, wagons, and anything loud.
Each letter held a different tone, from straightforward demands to bashful requests and whimsical queries.
Those letters from 1921 brought smiles and laughs as they depicted each child's personality — their imagination, hope, and dreams.
But the altruism shown in various requests became the most special parts of reading those letters.
Hartshorne's Violet Hazie White wrote "Don't forget mama and papa."
McAlester's G.P. Crockett asked Santa to bring something nice for his aunt and uncle, and his teacher.
Haileyville's Bernadean Routh asked Santa to not forget other little boys and girls and "please don't forget my grandma and my grandpa."
Those children in 1921 cared about more than just themselves — and last year's letters to Santa also showed the same selflessness.
"I would like for my mom to feel better," 9-year-old Lorelai wrote last year.
"Please do not forget my brothers," third-grader Kelly wrote. "They both love dinosaurs."
"I want everybody to be happy," 4-year-old Cahill Lott wrote.
We look forward to more caring thoughts in letters to Santa this year.
This year's letters to Santa will publish in a Special Christmas Eve edition on Saturday, Dec. 24.
It's our way of saying "Merry Christmas and happy holidays from your local newspaper."
—McAlester News-Capital Editorial Board
