Read JFK's letter reassuring a little girl that Santa is safe from nuclear bombs

Jeva Lange's avatar
By
published
President John F. Kennedy reassured a little girl that Santa was safe.
(Image credit: Photo courtesy of Kennedy Library Archives/Newsmakers)

Michelle Rochon can still remember worrying about Santa Claus' safety when she was 8 years old, during the height of the Cold War in 1961. "I knew nuclear bombs were bad," she recalled to CBC News. "And if [the Russians] were testing them at the North Pole, what was Santa going to do?"

There was one man who she thought could answer her concerns — President John F. Kennedy.

Article continues below

The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

A few weeks later, she got her reply. Read the president's adorable reassurance below, and Rochon's full story at CBC News. Jeva Lange

Explore More
Jeva Lange
Jeva Lange

Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.