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the newspaper clipping

Eight-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon wrote a letter to the editor of New York's Sun, and the quick response was printed as an unsigned editorial Sept. 21, 1897. The work of veteran newsman Francis Pharcellus Church has since become history's most reprinted newspaper editorial, appearing in part or whole in dozens of languages in books, movies, and other editorials, and on posters and stamps.

"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 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.

hey nikki sweetie!!!

My kids all believed till about 11yrs old only beccause i told them that santa was real to those who believe, and those children who dont believe, their parents have to pretend to be santa or they wont get any presents....I love xmas and how it brings all of together, the sharing and the giving, the food and the laughter from all the kids and adults. I hope she can keep believing..........

love na xxxxx

Hi just want to let you all know my 10 year old son still beleives in Santa...My moto is dont beleive - dont receive.I just want to stretch this christmas out as i reckon it will be the last. Then again maybe when it starts to get closer and kids start talking at school then things might change.But i just want one more christmas with all the kids beleiving

cheers tassie

I love everything about Christmas, it's just so magical and having my own kid's has made me realise even more that even though Santa doesn't exist in our time we can keep his spirit alive now because he was at one time real and that's the magic of it. Santa only exists if we believe!!!!!

Good luck!!!!!

Thankyou all for contributing its such a touchy subject because I really do feel it is magic I love xmas so much its not funny and i can't remember really believing in him and when i found out (although i did try to catch the easter bunny lol) I can understand all of your comments.  My girls don't believe in the easter bunny as they have found their teeth (well i thought they were fully hidden) its just very hard when my middle child is so cluey and my oldest is a believer.  My friend said to maybe say santa is real but just can't get to all the boys and girls in the world anymore cos he is to old so he hires mums and dads as helpers.  I am trying to prolong i just normally say well do you believe and "yes" then i say thats all that matters.

you've done so well to keep them believing so long.my daughter was 6 when she worked it out and the tooth fairy (she's light sleeper)younger!if you can keep it up for them beliving good on you.no offense of course but i remember when my brother told me that santa didn't exsist the first reaction was "mum's been lying to me". i guess that's why i never really hid the fact of santa to my daughter and let her figure it out on her own, as i didn't want the same reaction.

When my nephew was 9, he told me there was no Santa.  I pointed out several "facts" - if he doesn't exist, then how do people know what he looks like to draw pictures and take photos?

If he wasn't true, why would we contine to celebrate Santa?

Seeing that people world wide do not  agree on religion and politics, why do they all agree on Santa?

The most important things - when a child stops believing - Santa loses some of his magic.  When a whole family stops believing - then Santa doesn't visit anyone in that house anymore - until there's a new child in that family.

So - if he knows what's good for him - he'll try really hard to believe.  If he doesn't want to believe - that's ok - but Santa may not visit him this year - or again - and do not spoil it for his sibling

 Theres no way i would! Instead, is there a way you can surprise her with santa evidence? When i was about this age, my dad put a big footprint of a boot coming out of the chimney. Something like this might do the trick and get her to stop asking hard questions!

I am a firm believer that there are some things we can never truly know the answer to.  If your 11 year old is still a firm believer it is not fair to spoil things for him, and can you honestly say that you do not believe, that somewhere out there, there is a Santa.  I like to believe that their is.  All my kids have to do is walk past a person with a white beard on the street and they are one of Santas friends (if not Santa himself) and too this day, not one of these people have denied the fact.  If my boys have said "hey Santa what are you doing here" they respond with "just checking up on the children", or "I'm a friend helping Santa out" not one have my boys been told by these strangers that they are not Santa, related to him or that Santa does not exist.  Try to keep your 9yr old believing as long as possible.  Kids grow up and learn the truths in life too quickly these days.  Good luck with it!!