EDITORIAL YES, VIRGINIA THERE IS A SANTA CLAUS.Note: The following editorial comes from the Sept. 21, 1897, edition of the now-defunct New York New York, state, United States New York, Middle Atlantic state of the United States. It is bordered by Vermont, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and the Atlantic Ocean (E), New Jersey and Pennsylvania (S), Lakes Erie and Ontario and the Canadian province of Sun. Written in response to a young girl's question and without a byline by Francis Pharcellus Church Francis Pharcellus Church (February 22 1839 – April 11 1906) was an American publisher and editor. He was born in Rochester, New York and graduated from Columbia College in New York City in 1859. , it is the most reprinted editorial of all time: WE take pleasure in answering 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 Santa Claus: see Nicholas, Saint. Santa Claus jolly, gift-giving figure who visits children on Christmas Eve. [Christian Tradition: NCE, 1937] See : Christmas 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 VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible com·pre·hen·si·ble adj. Readily comprehended or understood; intelligible. [Latin compreh 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 “Is There a Santa Claus?” was the headline that appeared over an editorial in the September 21, 1897 edition of the New York Sun. The editorial, which included the response of “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 child·like adj. Like or befitting a child, as in innocence, trustfulness, or candor. childlike Adjective like a child, for example in being innocent or trustful Adj. 1. faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable tol·er·a·ble adj. 1. Capable of being tolerated; endurable. 2. Fairly good; passable. See Synonyms at average. tol this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The external light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished ex·tin·guish tr.v. ex·tin·guished, ex·tin·guish·ing, ex·tin·guish·es 1. To put out (a fire, for example); quench. 2. To put an end to (hopes, for example); destroy. See Synonyms at abolish. 3. . 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 you 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 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, poetry, love, romance, can push aside the curtain and view and picture the supernal su·per·nal adj. 1. Celestial; heavenly. 2. Of, coming from, or being in the sky or high above. [Middle English, from Old French, from Latin supernus; see uper 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 lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood. |
|
||||||||||||||||
Printer friendly
Cite/link
Email
Feedback
Reader Opinion