A Letter from Ethan and Lila: Settling a Musical Disagreement 🎶

My darlings, one of the joys of keeping this blog is opening letters from all around the world asking for more details about Santa and our world here. Some are filled with questions about reindeer, some about Santa’s favorite cookies (that one is easy—all of them), and others about traditions passed down through families. Today’s letter comes from a brother and sister who have found themselves in a most serious disagreement, and they’ve asked me to settle it once and for all.

Here is their letter:

Dear Mrs. Claus,

Hello! Our names are Ethan (I am 10) and Lila (I am 9), and we are brother and sister. We are writing to you today because we have a very important question that we just cannot agree on.

We were listening to Christmas music with our grandmother—she always plays the old records at Christmastime by singers who sound like they lived a long time ago. That’s how we know the songs “Here Comes Santa Claus” and “Have a Holly Jolly Christmas.”

Ethan says he is sure that Santa’s favorite Christmas song must be “Here Comes Santa Claus,” because, well… it’s about him! But I (Lila) think it has to be “Have a Holly Jolly Christmas,” because Santa is so cheerful and jolly, and that song just sounds like him.

We promised not to fight about it, but we really do want to know the truth. Could you please settle this for us?

Thank you so much for taking the time to read our letter. We hope you and Santa and the elves are having a wonderful season.

With love,
Ethan and Lila

Isn’t that delightful? I chuckled when I read, “She always plays the old records at Christmastime by singers who sound like they lived a long time ago.” Oh, my dears, I can see how Gene Autry and Burl Ives might sound “ancient” to ears as young as yours. But to Santa and me, why, it feels like just yesterday that their voices filled radios and record players in living rooms all across the world.

Now, let us settle this once and for all.

“Here Comes Santa Claus” 🎵

This cheerful tune was made famous by Gene Autry, known to many as the Singing Cowboy. He first performed it in 1947 after being inspired by a Christmas parade in Hollywood. Santa was the grand finale of the parade, and the joyful shouts of children gave birth to the song. Doesn’t that sound fitting? It’s no wonder Santa relates so well to the jolliness in Mr. Autry’s voice. Whenever he hears it, his foot taps along and his cheeks practically glow brighter than Rudolph’s nose!

“Have a Holly Jolly Christmas” 🎶

Now, on to the other contender. This merry classic was recorded by Burl Ives in 1965, though it first appeared the year before in the TV special Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. (Yes, the very same story that brings Hermey, Yukon Cornelius, and our shiny-nosed Rudolph to life on your screens!) Santa does adore this song, though I confess it may be more than the melody that captures his fancy. Between us, I believe Burl Ives reminds Santa a bit of himself. A kindly, round fellow with a twinkle in his eye and a booming, friendly voice. Of course, Santa also admits that Mr. Ives’s voice is warm and wonderful in its own right.

And the Answer Is… Both! 🎄

So, Ethan and Lila, you’re each correct. Santa has a very hard time choosing between these two. They’re both on his long list of favorites, and he never tires of hearing them. In fact, if you peeked into the workshop this very evening, you’d find the elves hammering, painting, and tying ribbons in time to one of those very songs.

But here’s the real truth, my darlings: Santa’s list of favorite Christmas songs is much longer than just two. From gentle carols sung by candlelight to lively modern tunes with jazzy cheer, he has so many that I could hardly fit them all into one blog post. In fact, if I start right now, I might just—

Oh! Would you listen to that? I hear Santa calling my name from outside this very moment. And knowing him, it likely has something to do with Jingles and Bell, our St. Bernards, who have probably managed to tangle themselves in their leashes again. I suppose I’ll have to save the rest of Santa’s favorite songs for another day.

Until then, consider this your invitation to start your own list of favorite carols and tunes—because half the fun of Christmas music is discovering which ones make your heart light up.

With love and a promise to continue soon,
Mrs. Claus