JFK Checks on Santa
With all the responsibilities that fall upon the President of the United States, it’s nice to know he has time to check in on the welfare of Santa Claus.
In 1961, the world’s top national leaders were focused on reports that the Soviet Union was planning to test its newest nuclear weapon in the Arctic Circle. An 8-year-old Michigan girl heard about this and was concerned about the North Pole’s most famous resident.
Michelle Rochon, of Marine City, wrote to President John F. Kennedy. “Please stop the Russians from bombing the North Pole because they will kill Santa Claus.”
Kennedy had a lot on his plate in that first year of his administration, but he wasn’t too busy to send a quick word of reassurance to the little girl.
“You must not worry about Santa Claus,’’ the president wrote on Oct. 28, 1961. ‘‘I talked with him yesterday and he is fine. He will be making his rounds again this Christmas.”
The Soviets tested their massive new bomb two days after Kennedy signed the letter. Reportedly 1,570 times more powerful than the combined strength of the bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, it is still considered the most powerful man-made explosive ever detonated.
True to JFK’s word, however, Santa apparently emerged from the experience unharmed, and Christmas has continued uninterrupted to this day.
You may also enjoy…
When Should You Take Down Christmas Decorations? Apparently, It Depends on Bears, Badgers, and Rodents With Commitment Issues
When should you take down Christmas decorations—Twelfth Night or Candlemas? Discover the surprising history behind holiday traditions, woodland folklore, Groundhog Day, and the long debate over when Christmas really ends.
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer: How a Department Store Mascot Became Christmas Canon
Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer feels ancient, but he was invented in 1939 by a department store. Here’s how a glowing nose became Christmas canon.
Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus (And in 1897 He Was Still Under Construction)
The true story behind “Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus”—how an 1897 letter, a newspaper editor, and a still-evolving Santa became a lasting Christmas tradition.
Leave a Reply