A Very Kennedy Christmas

December 12th, 2007 2:33pm

Among the things you'll find in Hamptons-regular Caroline Kennedy's new book, A Family Christmas, are:

A letter from Groucho Marx about his bad luck with holiday tipping, recipes from the kitchen of Martha Washington and the lyrics to 'Christmas in Hollis' by rappers Run-DMC.
A 1961 letter from her father, President John F. Kennedy, to a Michigan girl afraid that the Russians would bomb the North Pole and harm Santa. (An excerpt from President Kennedy's letter in response: "However, you must not worry about Santa Claus. I talked with him yesterday and he is fine. He will be making his rounds this Christmas.")
A letter [Kennedy] had written to Santa in 1962, when she was 5, in which she asked for—among other things—silver skates, a real pet reindeer, a basket for her bicycle and a farm.
The American vision of Santa Claus was created by Clement Clarke Moore in his 1822 poem that starts "'Twas the night before Christmas" and was later exported to the world largely via Coca-Cola ads.
Department stores—invented in America—"contributed greatly to the economic growth of Christmas." Macy's began decorating its windows in the 1870s and launched its Thanksgiving Day Parade in 1924. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer was created for Chicago's Montgomery Ward stores in 1939.

Newsday has an interview with Kennedy and more about the book and you can order away at Amazon.

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