Is There a Santa Claus?

[bj229r]

Little girl asks this of a newspaper editor at the New York Sun: 

We take pleasure in answering at once and 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 W. 95th St.

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 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 they 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 may 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.

Pity, they just don't write like that anymore, getting a little misty. (That was from 1897)
http://www.jsonline.com/news/opinion/112398129.html

[Raptor]

Back then writing and reading were bigger than television today. If we did not have motion pictures writing would still be as beautiful. Alas not as many people go to newspapers or journals for entertainment, so writing today is very dry and factual. You can always find an inspiring book though.

[SEraider]

My son just turned 5 years old.  One day he will ask me whether Santa lives.  My answer will be "is in all of our hearts." 

[OSU]

  Great find. Made this Christmas that much better.

[grizz441]

I'm not going to lie to my kids.  Unless my future woman makes me.  

Nice article though. 

[Penguin]

Let's list the fallacies!

• Argument from Insignificance: "All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little"
• Missaplication of a Dichotomy: Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus.
• Non Sequitur: Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies!
• Appeal to Emotion: Alas! how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus.
• Appeal to Pride: It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginias.

Sick, vile, twisted lies* to human beings yet incapable of formal logic.   

-Penguin

*Incredibly well masked and formulated, though

[FireDrgn]

Penguin wow you beat me to it.   There are a few more but point well made. 


But worthless from a morality is relative view point.

[mechanic]

Childhood should be filled with magic, not analysis involving words like non sequitur.

It's not a mark of intelligence to make everything in life scientific, it's just incredibly dull. Especially to a child.
Without magic you make human existence entirely mechanical and even more futile.

[grizz441]

Childhood should be filled with magic, not analysis involving words like non sequitur.

It's not a mark of intelligence to make everything in life scientific, it's just incredibly dull. Especially to a child.
Without magic you make human existence entirely mechanical and even more futile.

I might be more religious today if it wasn't for that my dreams were crushed when I found out that Santa Claus was a great big elaborate fairy tale.

I actually remember the day, and the details so vividly.  What a traumatic day that was. 

[mechanic]

Seriously? Ya big wuss! I caught my parents filling our stockings with treats one year when I was quite young. I stealthed back upstairs without telling them. I remember laughing to myself about it and deciding to let them think I believed it for a few more years.

[grizz441]

Seriously? Ya big wuss! I caught my parents filling our stockings with treats one year when I was quite young. I stealthed back upstairs without telling them. I remember laughing to myself about it and deciding to let them think I believed it for a few more years.

I found out when I was in 3rd grade.  A couple of my friends at school told me that Santa Claus wasn't real and I didn't believe them.  After making an bellybutton out of myself basically telling them they were wrong and that it wasn't my parents, I went home and told my parents of the blasphemy that occurred that day at school.  My parents broke the bad news to me that Santa was in fact fake, and that I had been lied to.  I was pretty upset about it, cuz I also found out about five minutes later on my own that the Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy weren't real either.   

Such an elaborate lie to go to the lengths of taking bites of cookie and drinking milk, and even hauling in reindeer poop into the front lawn to trick your kids into thinking there is a Santa Claus.  Gheesh the whole thing just irritates me! 

[Dace]

I found out when I was in 3rd grade.  A couple of my friends at school told me that Santa Claus wasn't real and I didn't believe them.  After making a sweetie  out of myself basically telling them they were wrong and that it wasn't my parents, I went home and told my parents of the blasphemy that occurred that day at school.  My parents broke the bad news to me that Santa was in fact fake, and that I had been lied to.  I was pretty upset about it, cuz I also found out about five minutes later on my own that the Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy weren't real either.  

Such an elaborate lie to go to the lengths of taking bites of cookie and drinking milk, and even hauling in reindeer poop into the front lawn to trick your kids into thinking there is a Santa Claus.  Gheesh the whole thing just irritates me!  

Written like a man who has no children.


I think my oldest son (7 y.o.) is starting to get wise to the whole Santa thing and I honestly don't think he gives a crap that we've deceived him so long as he gets new toys. He's cares very little about where they came from.

[mechanic]

Geuss it's a matter of perspective. If I look back on my childhood now I apreciate the 'lies' that gave me so much excitment and fun. Through out history the center of family life revolved around story telling. The old man who could spin a tall tale out of the air would always be the favorite entertainer of the children. It's a trick but it is great fun. Like telling your kids that when the ice cream van plays the music it means it is out of ice cream. When they work it out they should find it funny or grow a sense of humour.

[FireDrgn]

Geuss it's a matter of perspective. If I look back on my childhood now I apreciate the 'lies' that gave me so much excitment and fun. Through out history the center of family life revolved around story telling. The old man who could spin a tall tale out of the air would always be the favorite entertainer of the children. It's a trick but it is great fun. Like telling your kids that when the ice cream van plays the music it means it is out of ice cream. When they work it out they should find it funny or grow a sense of humour.

Not every one experiences life the same way .. That's the problem I see.  You were lied to and have no problem with it.   I was lied to and do have a problem with it.  It did not add any magic to my childhood that overcame the lie.    Maybe you got more magic than me.?

[FireDrgn]

Written like a man who has no children.


I think my oldest son (7 y.o.) is starting to get wise to the whole Santa thing and I honestly don't think he gives a crap that we've deceived him so long as he gets new toys. He's cares very little about where they came from.

Ill get this thread locked im sure  but here goes...


Written like a man that lies to his children.