US EditionYes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus
Francis P. Church responded to an 8-year-old's letter by affirming Santa Claus as real as love, inspiring one of the most reprinted editorials in newspaper history.
- Years ago, Francis P. Church at The New York Sun published the reply titled Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, written by the paper's veteran editorialist.
- Virginia O'Hanlon wrote to The Sun because friends doubted Santa and her father had said 'If you see it in The Sun, it's so,' prompting her letter to the Question and Answer column.
- Church argued that Santa Claus exists as certainly as love, generosity and devotion, maintaining the most real things are unseen and revealed only through faith, poetry and love.
- The Sun reprinted the editorial, which became one of the most famous, and Virginia O'Hanlon Douglas received mail about the letter throughout her life.
- When assigned theology and controversial topics, Church, a seasoned editor who covered the Civil War, predicted the editorial would 'continue to make glad the heart of childhood' for ages on The New York Sun editorial page.
46 Articles
46 Articles
Editorial: Does Santa exist? The eternal answer: Yes, Virginia
Every year, the Sentinel republishes the timeless story behind the most famous letter to the editor and editorial ever written. By now, the backstory is well known. It starts with a curious little girl, eight-year-old Virginia O’Hanlon, who wanted to settle a dispute with her classmates over whether Santa Claus really existed. She raised the […]
Ashland Source
Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus
Dear Editor, I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say that there is no Santa Claus. Papa says “If you see it in the Sun, it is so.” Please tell me the truth, is there a Santa Claus? Virginia, Your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of […] The post Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus appeared first on Ashland Source - Ashland County Ohio News & Info.
Folan: Yes Virginia, there still is a Santa Claus
When we light a menorah or decorate a tree, when we tell stories of miracles or marvels, we are not merely passing along traditions — we are cultivating the capacity to notice the quiet magic woven through the world.
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Bias Distribution
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