Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus!

[stuart]

I thought about my little girl setting in the spa asking me about Jesus's birthday and how to answer if there is a Santa Claus.

Many of us enjoy the Santa experience with our little ones but try not to confuse the issue with fairy tales like Santa. Here is a time honored story that most of us have heard that you should share with children as they come to the realization of what is real and what is fairy tale tradition.

In 1897 a little girl named Virginia wrote a letter to the editor of the New York Sun asking him this question...

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

"Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except what 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 childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The external 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, 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 lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!! "

Virginia went on to become a School teacher and share the spirit of human tradition with many children.

I think it is important for our children to know the reason for Christmas but I also think it's important to help them understand the reason for fairy tales and the power of imagination!

If you've never shared this story with your family it is a great family tradition and would make a great tale to tell in your spa!!

Merry Christmas all of you!

[Chris_H]

I love reading that story.

[zzaphod42]

Thank you for sharing. I, for one have never heard that story...or I may have heard it as a child, and forgotten as I got older. (Older people not old!)

I will be copying it, and keeping it for when my son is ready to hear the story. I still have another Christmas before he will even understand anything about Santa Claus.

Ironically, one thing that stood out to me (besides how touching the story is) is the use of the words - man, men, him, rather than person, people, them, its etc...

Joe

[tony]

Thank you stuart.

Merry Christmas everyone.

[stuart]

I'm glad you liked it, it's one of my favorite Christmas stories and kinda gives me that warm fuzzy feeling (but then I'm already fuzzy so the warm is easy! )

If you take a moment to research out a bit about the story you will appreciate it even more.

[Lori]

Always one of my favorite stories!

Thanks Stuart!

[stuart]

Always one of my favorite stories!

Thanks Stuart!

I know that you and Spahappy have to believe in Santa after all, having to work for him this time of year and all!

[Lori]

Well, you can't beat the perks!  Besides, it goes a looong way towards getting everything I ask for!