Is Santa Clause Real?
The Story Behind “Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Clause”
The girl behind the story “Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Clause” was actually very real, and this story is actually true. If you thought Virginia was a fictional character, you’re sorely mistaken. A girl named Virginia O’Hanlon is the actual person behind this now-legendary story.
Who’s Virginia?
In the late 1800s Virginia O’Hanlon, an 8-year-old girl asked her father if Santa Clause was real after her friends told her that he did not exist. Her father, who worked for a coroner, ended up suggesting that she write a letter to the local newspaper to resolve her question. They lived in Manhattan at the time, and she sent her letter to The New York Sun. A former Civil War correspondent in his new capacity as an editorial writer was assigned the task of responding to Virginia’s letter.
A Warm Heart
The popularity and heart-warming nature of the response Virginia received has withstood more than a century. The letter formed the basis of a popular movie and is recounted annually during Christmas time. Many newspapers have reprinted this letter each year during the Christmas season, and millions of readers are aware of this touching tribute to the spirit of Christmas. The letter serves to keep the spirit of giving alive. Santa Clause represents the spirit of Christmas rather than an actual person.
There was a television special based on the letter that debuted in the 1970s. There was also a TV movie that aired in 1991. The response that Virginia received is usually not reprinted in its’ entirely, but the meaning is still conveyed warmly and clearly to all of us more than a century later. After reading the letter, it is hard not to believe in Santa Clause.
Yes, It’s True
Some cynics have questioned whether there was ever a real letter, but the original copy has been authenticated, and the story of Virginia O’Hanlon is not just an urban legend. Santa Clause is alive and well if we are to believe the response that Virginia O’Hanlon received from The New York Sun, and it would be a shame to believe otherwise.