Letters to Santa - 1931

Dear Santa Claus:
Is it very cold in the North Pole? I would like to know whether you are coming in an airplane this year?

I was a very good boy since last year. I am nine years old. I am in the fourth grade.

Will you please bring me a sled? I am not asking for too much because times are hard this year.

Yours truly,
LEON

Dear Santa:
How are you feeling this Christmas? I hope you are feeling well.

I am a little girl nine years of age and in the fourth grade. I have been a pretty good girl this year, and have helped mother a lot. I would like for Christmas a few dresses. One for best and a couple for school. I would like a nice ring and a pair of ice skates, too. Think that’s all I really need except a pair of skating knickers to go with my skates. I think I will close now.

Your little friend,
RUTH CLARK

Dear Santa Claus:

How are you getting along at the North Pole? Is it very cold up there? How are your toys getting along? When are you coming down the chimney? I wonder if you like to tell what I want, but first I want to tell you something.

I am a little girl 8 years of age. I would like a doll carriage with a doll. I have not anymore to write, so will close my letter.

Your truly,
GERTRUDE

Dear Santa Claus:

Is it very cold at the North Pole? How are you feeling this Christmas? I am in the four one grade, and I am nine years. I am a boy. I have been good this year. Dear Santa would you bring me a train, boat, stamps and an airplane?

Yours truly,
SEYMOUR BLOCK

Dear Santa Claus:

I am twelve years old and in the eighth grade. My father died two years ago. Nobody is working in my family. My brother goes to school and my sister use to work and she helped us a great deal. My brother, mother and my sister would be very thankful if you would send us some food for Christmas dinner. When we go to church we will say a prayer for you. Please help us for we have no one to depend on except you.

Thanking you,
JENNIE SMITH

Dear Santa Claus,

How are you? I am just fine. How is your RainDears? I hear you are coming soon! I want a doll trunk for my doll and a coat for my doll and some dresses to? Love to Santa from JOYCE BRAINARD

I am 7 years old.

Dear Santa Claus:

Christmas will soon be here. I am going to have a Christmas tree, and I am going to have electric lights on the Christmas tree

Now I am going to tell what I want. I want a Christmas stocking, doll, cooking set and box of crayons.

Yours, truly,
MADELINE WARREN

Dear Santa Claus:

I just can’t wait until Christmas comes. Oh! I want many things I’ve tried to be a good girl I am eight and one half years old. Mother said that I was a very nice girl.

Dear Santa, will you please bring me a doll, horn, train, and a doll house?

Yours truly
BETTY VICTOR

Dear Santa Claus:

How are you feeling? It is nearly Xmas and I thought I would write you a letter.

I am a little girl eight years old. I have been a pretty good girl this year. I wonder if you could bring me a pretty doll.

Yours truly
NORMA

Dear Santa:

Are you coming very soon? Do you have any Christmas trees where you live? Is it very cold where you live? It is going to snow here pretty soon. Are you coming with an airplane or your reindeer?

I wish you would please bring me some toys. I would like an electric train, pair of ice skates, sled and some candy.

Yours truly,
HYMAN MILLER

Dear Santa,

Please give a blackboard, and some chalk and erasers. I want a desk and some story books and some coloring books. I want a pair of roller skates. I want some candy and some peanuts and some nuts. I want a stocking full of candy and a stocking full of toys and brings me pens and penholders. I want a play wristwatch and a pocket book with it. My sister Mary wants a pair of roller skates and a doll and a carriage and a blackboard and chalk and erasers. I want a electric stove. My sister Sue Anne wants a pair of learning skates. and a set of dishes and a coloring books with crayons and some story books. My sister Josephine wants some cloths and a ring and braclet. My sister Betty was a carriage and a box of handkerchiefs and a furniture set. My sister Pualine wants a little doll with a little carriage with it, and a little broom. I hope you bring all the toys that we want if you can. I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I am going to close now, for that’s all we want.

Your good girls,

FANNY DiTORO
MARY DiTORO
SUE ANNE DiTORO
JOSEPHINE DiTORO
BETTY ANNE KING
PAULINE DiTORO

All of the letters were found in The Syracuse Herald, December 24, 1931, pg 5. I was looking for a letter written by my father and even though I did not find one, I was enchanted by these.

This is a repost from 5 December 2007.

What Child Is This?

What Child is This? was written in 1865 by William Chatterton Dix. It was later set to the music of Greensleeves, which is one of my favorite pieces of music. So start the music, scroll down for the words and carol along with Josh and me!

What Child is this who, laid to rest,
On Mary’s lap is sleeping?
Whom angels greet with anthems sweet
While shepherds watch are keeping?
This, this is Christ the King,
Whom shepherds guard and angels sing;
Haste, haste, to bring Him laud,
The Babe, the Son of Mary!

So bring Him incense, gold and myrrh;
Come peasant, king to own Him.
The King of kings salvation brings;
Let loving hearts enthrone Him.
Raise, raise, the song on high,
The virgin sings her lullaby;
Joy, joy, for Christ is born,
The Babe, the Son of Mary!

Why lies He in such mean estate
Where ox and ass are feeding?
Good Christian, fear, for sinners here
The silent Word is pleading.
Nails, spear shall pierce him through,
The Cross be borne for me, for you;
Hail, hail the Word made flesh,
The Babe, the Son of Mary!

Now head on over to
footnoteMaven's
and see who else is
blog caroling today!

Merry Christmas

A Caroling We Will Go

The weather outside is frightful so I'm going blog caroling with footnote Maven. The kids have been singing one of Thomas' carols for weeks now. My little ones have been struggling with the whole being good up until Christmas thing so I've been singing this twice a day for the last week.

Santa Claus Is Coming To Town

Oh! You better watch out,
You better not cry,
You better not pout,
I'm telling you why:

Santa Claus is coming to town!

He's making a list,
He's checking it twice,
He's gonna find out
who's naughty or nice.

Santa Claus is coming to town!

He sees you when you're sleeping,

He knows when you're awake.

He knows when you've been bad or good,

So be good for goodness sake!

So...You better watch out,
You better not cry
You better not pout,
I'm telling you why.

Santa Claus is coming to town.

Little tin horns,
Little toy drums.
Rudy-toot-toot
and rummy tum tums.

Santa Claus is coming to town.

Little toy dolls
that cuddle and coo,
Elephants, boats
and Kiddie cars too.

Santa Claus is coming to town.

The kids in Girl and Boy Land
will have a jubilee.
They're gonna build a toyland town
all around the Christmas tree.

Oh....You better watch out,
You better not cry.
You better not pout,
I'm telling you why.

Santa Claus is comin' to town!
Santa Claus is comin' to town!
Santa Claus is comin'
To town!

From Wikipedia:

"Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" (sometimes with Coming changed to Comin') is a Christmas song. It was written by J. Fred Coots and Haven Gillespie, and was first sung on Eddie Cantor's radio show in November 1934. It became an instant hit with orders for 100,000 copies of sheet music the next day and over 400,000 copies sold by Christmas.

Christmas and the Arts

December 13 - Christmas and the Arts
Did your family attend any special events
or performances during the holidays?

We have attended many Christmas concerts at school over the years. I sang in the chorus and later was in the band. All three of our kids were in the band. These days all the local schools have a day leading up to Christmas where they perform at the mall and I usually drive a group of kids down each year.

Our favorite thing to do in December is to catch the Christmas performance by the Acme Mystery Company at the Spaghetti Warehouse in Syracuse. They do murder mysteries all year long but in December there is a special holiday show where nobody dies but you still have a mystery to solve. The audience gets to participate and we always have a great time.

This time of year is always so busy and the weather so iffy that I'm more likely to see a play or concert at another time of the year.


An Advent Calendar count
down to Christmas!

Who else is participating?

Visit Thomas at
Destination: Austin Family
and get the details!

Santa Claus

December 6 - Santa Claus
Did you ever send a letter to Santa?
Did you ever visit Santa and “make a list?”
Do you still believe in Santa Claus?

I still believe in the magic of Santa Claus. The picture below was taken at Santa's Workshop, North Pole, NY. Living so close to the North Pole how could I not believe? Most years we also visited Santa at the E. W. Edwards Department Store in Syracuse. More on that tomorrow!

Summer 1964, North Pole, NY

I do remember writing letters to Santa. Mom would look at the list and remind me that Santa couldn't possibly bring me everything. Somehow he always knew what the most important item on the list was and a couple of times he brought me things I didn't know I'd love until they appeared under the tree. I still write to him!

Mom remembers Santa actually visiting their house. He would show up loaded down with presents. It never failed that just before his arrival Mom's Aunt Ruby would have to use the outhouse and be disappointed that she had missed him. Finally one year Mom's sister felt that it was time that somebody put two and two together for Mom and Santa came no more.

Any day now some bully at work will tell one of my littlest ones the "truth" about Santa. It will be my job to tell everyone that Santa only brings presents to good little girls and boys who believe. Then I'll make the bully wait to get off last and when I have them alone they'll have to endure my lecture about the spirit of Christmas. I don't know if my lecture gets through to them or they just don't want to suffer the embarrassment of being the last one to go into school but we'll have no more trash talk about Santa!

I've transcribed some letters to Santa from 1931 here. And if you want to see what kids in the Utica, NY area are asking for this year, here's a link.

An Advent Calendar count down
to Christmas!

Who else is participating?

Visit Thomas at
Destination: Austin Family
and get the details!

Letters to Santa - 1931

The Syracuse Herald, December 24, 1931, pg 5

Dear Santa Claus:
Is it very cold in the North Pole? I would like to know whether you are coming in an airplane this year?

I was a very good boy since last year. I am nine years old. I am in the fourth grade.

Will you please bring me a sled? I am not asking for too much because times are hard this year.

Yours truly,
LEON

Dear Santa:
How are you feeling this Christmas? I hope you are feeling well.

I am a little girl nine years of age and in the fourth grade. I have been a pretty good girl this year, and have helped mother a lot. I would like for Christmas a few dresses. One for best and a couple for school. I would like a nice ring and a pair of ice skates, too. Think that’s all I really need except a pair of skating knickers to go with my skates. I think I will close now.

Your little friend,
RUTH CLARK

Dear Santa Claus:

How are you getting along at the North Pole? Is it very cold up there? How are your toys getting along? When are you coming down the chimney? I wonder if you like to tell what I want, but first I want to tell you something.

I am a little girl 8 years of age. I would like a doll carriage with a doll. I have not anymore to write, so will close my letter.
Your truly,
GERTRUDE

Dear Santa Claus:

Is it very cold at the North Pole? How are you feeling this Christmas? I am in the four one grade, and I am nine years. I am a boy. I have been good this year. Dear Santa would you bring me a train, boat, stamps and an airplane?

Yours truly,
SEYMOUR BLOCK

Dear Santa Claus:

I am twelve years old and in the eighth grade. My father died two years ago. Nobody is working in my family. My brother goes to school and my sister use to work and she helped us a great deal. My brother, mother and my sister would be very thankful if you would send us some food for Christmas dinner. When we go to church we will say a prayer for you. Please help us for we have no one to depend on except you.

Thanking you,
JENNIE SMITH

Dear Santa Claus,

How are you? I am just fine. How is your RainDears? I hear you are coming soon! I want a doll trunk for my doll and a coat for my doll and some dresses to? Love to Santa from JOYCE BRAINARD

I am 7 years old.

Dear Santa Claus:

Christmas will soon be here. I am going to have a Christmas tree, and I am going to have electric lights on the Christmas tree

Now I am going to tell what I want. I want a Christmas stocking, doll, cooking set and box of crayons.

Yours, truly,
MADELINE WARREN

Dear Santa Claus:

I just can’t wait until Christmas comes. Oh! I want many things I’ve tried to be a good girl I am eight and one half years old. Mother said that I was a very nice girl.

Dear Santa, will you please bring me a doll, horn, train, and a doll house?

Yours truly
BETTY VICTOR

Dear Santa Claus:

How are you feeling? It is nearly Xmas and I thought I would write you a letter.

I am a little girl eight years old. I have been a pretty good girl this year. I wonder if you could bring me a pretty doll.

Yours truly
NORMA

Dear Santa:

Are you coming very soon? Do you have any Christmas trees where you live? Is it very cold where you live? It is going to snow here pretty soon. Are you coming with an airplane or your reindeer?

I wish you would please bring me some toys. I would like an electric train, pair of ice skates, sled and some candy.

Yours truly,
HYMAN MILLER

Dear Santa,

Please give a blackboard, and some chalk and erasers. I want a desk and some story books and some coloring books. I want a pair of roller skates. I want some candy and some peanuts and some nuts. I want a stocking full of candy and a stocking full of toys and brings me pens and penholders. I want a play wristwatch and a pocket book with it. My sister Mary wants a pair of roller skates and a doll and a carriage and a blackboard and chalk and erasers. I want a electric stove. My sister Sue Anne wants a pair of learning skates. and a set of dishes and a coloring books with crayons and some story books. My sister Josephine wants some cloths and a ring and braclet. My sister Betty was a carriage and a box of handkerchiefs and a furniture set. My sister Pualine wants a little doll with a little carriage with it, and a little broom. I hope you bring all the toys that we want if you can. I wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. I am going to close now, for that’s all we want.

Your good girls,
FANNY DiTORO
MARY DiTORO
SUE ANNE DiTORO
JOSEPHINE DiTORO
BETTY ANNE KING
PAULINE DiTORO

Christmas Cards

December 4 - Christmas Cards
Did your family send them?
Did your family display the ones they received?
Do you still send Christmas cards?

Mom had a separate section in her address book full of addresses that were only used to for sending Christmas cards. Christmas cards were the only contact she had with many people from year to year. She has cut down on the number of cards she sends but there still is a good sized pile that goes out every year.

They are always taped to the molding around the shelves just inside the front door. My sister and I have adopted this custom in our homes using door frames instead.

Christmas Eve 2003 at County Girl & The Colonel's

My Aunt Vivian always included a Christmas letter in her cards that I looked forward to every year. I wrote Christmas letters three or four years. Other years I included our family photo or simply had the photo made into a card. I would love to have this be an annual thing but I is nearly impossible to get everyone all together at the same time. 2005 was the last year we had a group picture and my son-in-law wasn't able to be there.

Christmas Eve 2005 at PJ & Jae's

Every year BJ and Angie pick a funny card. Often their pick is a bit on the naughty side and they pick a second card (still humorous) that they can send to relatives that they think might be offended by their first choice. Their barometer is my Mom. She looks forward to their cards and isn't as easily offended as they think.

I haven't sent out cards the last couple of years. This year I may send out just a few.



An Advent Calendar count down

to Christmas!

Who else is participating?

Visit Thomas at
Destination: Austin Family
and get the details!

Christmas Tree Ornaments

December 2 - Christmas Tree Ornaments
Did your family have heirloom or cherished ornaments?
Did you ever string popcorn and cranberries?
Did your family make ornaments?

On the tree of my youth there were the good ornaments and the plastic ornaments. Mom bought some ornaments when she and Dad got their first place and they were the good ornaments. Even after we were old enough to do away with the plastic ornaments they remained because of the cat. He'd bat at the ones on the lower branches so the plastic ones stayed on the bottom until well after I'd left home.

We did try to string popcorn most years. Have you ever tried it? Maybe we just didn't do it right or maybe we ate more than got strung but we never seemed to string enough for a proper garland. Along with the good and the plastic ornaments there were always many homemade ornaments. A cut up egg carton and some pipe cleaners and you had a dozen bells. Some Styrofoam balls studded with toothpicks and you ended up with several stars.

Christmas 1971 or 1972

This is the oldest ornament on my tree, made from a blown egg in kindergarten or 1st grade. It was one of only three ornaments that I wouldn't my grandsons handle this year.
Blown Egg Santa
Created 1965 or 1966

All of the ornaments on my tree today have a significance. Some were made by my kids and others by me. Some were recieved as gifts and others bought to commemorate an event or memory. More than you'd ever want to know about my ornament collection can be found here.
A small sample of the homemade ornaments on my tree 2007.

An Advent Calendar count down
to Christmas!

Who else is participating?

Visit Thomas at
Destination: Austin Family
and get the details!

Our Christmas Trees

December 1 - The Christmas Tree
Did you have a real tree or was it artificial?
How big was the tree? Who decorated the tree?

We always had a real tree until I was a teenager. I can remember going with my father to pick out a tree at Marble Farms, about a mile from where we lived. They had a large lot and we always picked a short needle tree. The trees are still sold from that lot beginning the day after Thanksgiving. (My mother tells me that we also got some of ours trees from a lot in Fairmont but I don't remember ever going there.)

We had a big, heavy stand and Dad would get it into the stand before bringing it inside. It was always placed at the center of the picture window in our tiny living room, the furniture being shoved to the sides and out of the way. Even though it was watered every day there were always needles all over the floor.

Mom would put the fragile, glass ornaments on the top half of the tree and we had plastic ornaments that we put on the lower half. The tree was not complete until it was covered with tinsel.

The tree never went up before December 17th so that my birthday could be celebrated separately from Christmas. It was always taken down before New Years and placed on top of the snowbank near the curb for pickup by the town.

Christmas 1965

I remember my grandparents aluminum tree with the spot light on the floor. I couldn't find a picture of it but it lives on in my memory. The pictures that I did find were all of regular trees that I don't recall.

John and I each had little artificial, not very pretty trees when we met and we continued to use one of them for several years. After we moved to a house with a very large living room we splurged and bought a beautiful tree that I loved. With this tree started the tradition of putting the tree up the day after Thanksgiving so that I can enjoy it for the entire season. Having several birthdays in December it no longer made sense to wait until after all of the birthdays are done. (We have one big birthday party a weekend or two before Christmas for all of the December birthdays.) Bean now has that tree so I still get to enjoy it.

Christmas 2001

This is my favorite Christmas tree picture. My sister-in-law had a 10' or 12' foot tree that was decorated with many ornaments that flashed or spun. Liz was just over a year old and fascinated by it.

John & Liz, Christmas 2003

These days I have a very small artificial tree that I've decorated by myself the last several years. If you're curious about my little tree or the reason that it has only blue lights, check out last year's post. It was fun to have help this year.

Mike & Alex decorating my tree 23 Nov 2007

An Advent Calendar count down
to Christmas!

Who else is participating?

Visit Thomas at
Destination: Austin Family
and get the details!