Yes, Virginia There is a Santa Claus...

**BASK8KACE** · 12-19-2004, 06:48 PM

This is a Christmas favorite. I'm posting it here in its entirety for all to enjoy.

Merry Christmas, Joyous Kwanzaa, Happy Chanukah to all!

--BASK8KACE

Is There a Santa Claus?
From the Editorial Page of The New York Sun,
written by Francis P. Chruch, September 21, 1897

We take pleasure in answering thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of The Sun:

Dear Editor,

I am 8 years old.
Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.
Papa says, 'If you see it in The Sun, it's so.'
Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus?

--Virginia O'Hanlon, 115 West Ninety-fifth Street

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the scepticism of a sceptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias. There would be no child-like faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if you did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance, can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding. No Santa Claus! Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

**workdude** · 12-19-2004, 06:49 PM

Nice post...

**Red Ketchup** · 12-19-2004, 06:52 PM

Of course there is a santa! It's MBH's great great great uncle!

Ho Ho HO!

Red

**Red Ketchup** · 12-19-2004, 06:53 PM

And with a note of seriousness, sadly my boy has finally announced that he no longer believes in Santa....

I guess at 11 it's about time but still...

Red

**UrbanLegend** · 12-19-2004, 06:59 PM

Originally Posted by Red Ketchup

And with a note of seriousness, sadly my boy has finally announced that he no longer believes in Santa....

I guess at 11 it's about time but still...

Red

Don't be so hard on yourself. Start being hard on yourself when he starts having acid trips that convince him Santa is real.

**Red Ketchup** · 12-19-2004, 07:02 PM

Originally Posted by UrbanLegend

Don't be so hard on yourself. Start being hard on yourself when he starts having acid trips that convince him Santa is real.

He he he trust me... if that ever happens I won't be hard on myself... I will on the other hand be quite hard on his azz!

I'll make him wish there really was a santa!

Red

**BigMike J** · 12-19-2004, 07:18 PM

Originally Posted by Red Ketchup

And with a note of seriousness, sadly my boy has finally announced that he no longer believes in Santa....

I guess at 11 it's about time but still...

Red

We need more christmas spirt to get Santas sled off the ground

**wildcatslady** · 12-19-2004, 07:19 PM

thank you kindly for a wonderful post, I have never read the entire letter before...I always just thought it was basicaly him saying Yes, Virginia, there is a santa claus.
I second BASK8KACE in him wishing everyone a Merry Christmas, Joyous Kwanzaa, Happy Chanukah to all!