In the late 19th century, a simple question from an eight-year-old girl inspired one of the most beloved editorials ever written. In 1897, Virginia O’Hanlon of New York City wrote a letter to The Sun, a prominent newspaper of the time. Her question was short but profound: “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 is a Santa Claus?”
The response, published anonymously on September 21, 1897, was penned by veteran newsman Francis Church. His editorial, titled “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus,” became a timeless reflection on faith, wonder, and the unseen truths that shape human life.
Church’s answer was not a simple “yes.” Instead, he used Virginia’s question to explore deeper ideas about belief and the human spirit. “Yes, Virginia,” he wrote, “there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist.” In those few words, Church reframed Santa Claus not as a literal figure who travels the world in one night, but as a symbol of the enduring goodness and hope that live within the human heart.
The power of the editorial lies in its message that some of the most important things in life cannot be seen or measured. Love, faith, joy, and kindness, like Santa Claus, exist because we choose to believe in them and nurture them through our actions. Church argued that skepticism and cynicism, while common in adulthood, rob the world of its magic. “The most real things in the world,” he wrote, “are those that neither children nor men can see.”
In my memories, one Christmas that stands out as significant was the year that my dad was laid off from his job at the steel mill. Times were tough, and my parents were taking on part-time jobs to try to make ends meet for our family of six. I don’t clearly remember the specific details, but I know it was a cold Christmas Eve and snow was falling. We heard a car out in front of our house and looked out to see Santa in his full suit in the passenger seat of a sedan. He jumped out and immediately began carrying boxes filled with food and wrapped Christmas gifts for me and my siblings to our front porch. I was probably around the same age as young Virginia and probably had much of the same curiosity. In my young eyes, that old sedan was equivalent to Santa’s sleigh, and the gifts delivered that night were more precious than gold.
Over the decades, “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus” has been reprinted countless times, translated into multiple languages, and adapted into radio plays, television specials, and books. It remains one of the most reprinted editorials in newspaper history. Each holiday season, it resurfaces as a reminder that belief is not naive, it is necessary.
In a modern world often defined by uncertainty and information overload, the message still resonates. Santa Claus represents the spirit of giving and the invisible threads that connect humanity through compassion and imagination. To believe in Santa Claus is to believe in the goodness that people can create for one another.
So, here’s a piece of my mind… Believing in Santa isn’t just about a man in a red suit, it’s about holding on to the magic, wonder, and kindness that make the holiday season so special. When we believe, we open our hearts to joy, generosity, and imagination, reminding ourselves that some of the best things in life can’t be seen, only felt. And keeping that belief alive helps make the world a little brighter, one Christmas at a time. More than a century later, Church’s words still ring true: “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.” It is not merely a statement about a holiday legend, but a testament to the power of faith, hope, and love, the very qualities that make life worth believing in.
