These letters were published in the Nashville Banner (Tennessee) newspaper just prior to Christmas, 1903. Be sure to note the family connections included in the letters from the wee ones to the man in Red.
Dear Santa
I am a little girl 7 years old, and I want you to bring me a
doll, set of dishes, table and some doll chairs and some candies, nuts,
oranges, figs and all good things to eat.
Nellie Egan
P.S. Please don’t forget my little brother, Morris
Egan. Bring him a nice rubber doll
Dear Santa
I am a little girl 5 years old. I want you to bring me a
doll, set of dishes, doll table and doll chairs and some candies, nuts, oranges
and everything good to eat.
Dear Santa
I am a little girl 9 yrs old. I wish you would bring me a big doll. I have kept the one you brought me last
Christmas and I want one a little larger and bring me a set of dishes and a
book satchel, oranges, candies and nuts.
Bring all of the little children something.
Dear Santa Claus
Please bring me a watch and a chain. Bring me some candy and raisins and
nuts. Pleas bring me a knife and some
fireworks. Please bring me a pretty
picture book. Bring me a pretty picture
book. Bring me a steel trap. Please bring me some oranges and some
skyrockets. Please bring me some
fireworks.
Dear Santa
I have been a good little boy ever since I heard that you
were coming to see me Christmas. Please
bring me a pair of skates, velocipede, wagon, fireworks and everything that is
good to eat.
Dear Santa
I am 9 years old and good as I can be, so please do not
forget to bring me a game of flinch and lagomachy, pair of skates, rocking
chair, pocketbook, pencil box, story book and anything else that you think
would suit me. Don’t forget mamma and my
four little brothers.
Dear Santa
I am looking forward to you coming with great pleasure, so
please do not forget me. I want a
baseball, glove, watch, pair of skates, pair of leggins, pair of corduroy pants
that come below my knees to wear with my leggins, and plenty of good things to
eat above all things. Think of Mamma and
all good mammas like her.
Dear Santa
I am a little girl 12 years old and first of all I have quit
playing with dolls. You can bring me a
work box, writing desk, rocking chair, cushions, bed, rat for my hair, some
pretty hairpins, ring, trunk, furs, and somebody to help mamma with her work so
I will not have to do it.
Dear Santa
I am a little boy 9 years old. I go to school every day and try to be a good
little boy. I hope you won’t forget me.
I want you to please bring me a set of carpenter tools, some tops, marbles, a
air-gun and some candies, oranges, nuts, firecrackers, roman candles and please
bring me a story book. Your little
friend.
Dear Old Criss,
I am a little boy just 4 years old and I want you to bring
me a little wagon, a paper cap pistol, and a horn, lots of candy, nuts, and
oranges.
Dear Santa Claus
I am a little girl 7 years old. I live in the country. Please bring me a doll that will go to sleep,
some candy, nuts, raisins, orange and some fireworks and anything else you have
nice for a little girl. Please don’t
forget my brothers and sister.
Good-bye.
Dear Old Santa Claus
As it is nearing Christmas, thaught I would write you and
ask you to please bring me a catcher’s glove, baseball and bat, and anything
else nice you may choose to bring. And
Dear Old Santa Claus, please don’t forget my little brother, Gus. He is such a sweet, good little fellow. Now Santa don’t forget us, and I thank you
ever so much. Your Loving Little Friend,
Dear St. Nicholas
Please bring me a nice box of handkerchiefs, book called
“The Story of a Short Life,” some hair ribbons, statuette, new dark red waist,
and have the sets put in my old ring.
Also bring me some candy, oranges, apples, nuts and dates. Yours truly
Dear Santy
I want some big fire crackers and some fireworks, a loud
whistle, some paper caps, fifteen cents
worth of little fire crackers and a velossipede, some candy and a top and
string. Please bring me a big cannon and
a fire engine and a box of tools and a football and a drum and anything else
you can think of that a little boy like me wants. Your friend
Dear Santa
I want you to not forget me, for I want a rubber rattle and
a pair of little shoes and a high chair and some candy.
Dear Santa Claus
This letter is from Kate Leak. Please bring me a doll, set of furniture and
a tea set. also some candy, and some
oranges and nuts, and a doll. Augusta
Little says bring her a doll, set of furniture and some nuts and a tea set, and
Kate a doll carriage and me one. I want
some butter nuts and some oranges, and a little red rocking chair. I am 6 years old and Kate Leak is 7. Bring me a doll cradle and a bottle of
cologne and just anything that you can.
And bring a box of candy and a little kitchen to go to Mamie’s parlor.
Kate Leak and Augusta Little
Deaer Santa
I am a little man 10 years of age and have been a pretty
good boy this year, and hope you will come to see me. Please bring me a little tool box, an air
gun, a fire engine, a train of cars and nuts, candies, oranges and fireworks.
The following description and greeting appeared on Christmas
Eve, 1903.
THE LILIPUTIAN ARMY
MOVED ON SANTA CLAUS
The little people broke the record this time. 2,153 letters to Santa Claus, more than any
previous year, were written to the Nashville Banner this year [1903]. This is evidence that the little people know
their friend. The letters have been
printed just as they were written, and that most of them were genuine
child-letters. Of course, the usual
“smartie” has attempted to get in his joke work or fake, and for this we have
kept a careful lookout, and have thrown out all communications that seemed to
us suspicious. We have been alarmed by
the enormous demand for dolls, but have no doubt the supply will quite equal
the demand.
A great cause for congratulation in the magnificent report
so many boy letter-writers have to offer as in their conduct during the year.
Surely the world has never witnessed such a fine army of “good little boys” as
those who have reported to old Santa Claus of 1903. The girls do not have much
to say on that subject, but this is doubtless due to the fact that girls are
always good and old Santa Claus know it.
But the boys are evidently “catching up” and will no doubt soon be just
as good.
Of course, all may not get just what they desired, for there
are a great many little boys and girls in the world, and some of you have sent
in rather large orders. But your old
friend Santa Claus is going to do his very best for you; you may be sure of
that. But, after all, the real happiness
of Christmas does not consist in what we get, nor even in what we give, but in
a glad heart, a contented spirit and a sweet and loving gratitude to the
friends who remember us at this gracious season of good will