In 1897, a girl named Virginia O’Hanlon wrote a plaintive letter to the editor of New York’s high-ranking newspaper, The Sun. Her friends had told her that Santa Claus was not real. Eight-year-old Virginia went to her father and begged to know the truth. Her father’s reply was: “If you see it in The Sun, it’s so.”
Despite being warned that her letter could go unanswered, Virginia wrote to The Sun. She then watched daily for the family’s newspaper to arrive. Letters to the Editor, in those days, primarily targeted politics. Weeks later, it was surmised that Virginia’s heartfelt letter had fallen by the wayside.
The Sun’s editor-in-chief, Edward Page Mitchell, had indeed received Virginia’s plea. He was simply — and understandably — hesitant to publish a reply. Mitchell handed off Virginia’s letter to editor Francis Pharcellus Church. Church handled a section of The Sun’s editorials, personally addressing thousands of queries. His forte was with sensitive religious matters. Mitchell knew he had chosen the right man for the task.
Church, however, was also reluctant to address the reality of Santa Claus. Nevertheless, Church crafted his 416 word reply over the course of a few hours. His response appeared last in the final column of editorials which dealt with election laws, British ships in American waters and a newly invented chainless bicycle. Church’s name was not attached to the piece. The date was September 21, 1897.
“Virginia,” Church’s response began, “your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age.” Church went on to say that Santa Claus “exists in the same way love and generosity and devotion exist.” It was suggested that the world would be a dreary place without Santa Claus. “There would be no childlike faith, no poetry and no romance.” In conclusion: “He lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, nay, Virginia, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.”
Church’s authorship was not revealed until after his death in 1906. Scores of other papers carried the piece year after year, making “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus” the most reprinted editorial in the English language.
The story has been adapted as a film, TV specials and a musical. In 1932, it was transposed to a choir arrangement and performed on NBC radio, making it the only known editorial piece to be set to music.
As for Virginia, she credited Church’s writing with shaping her future. Becoming a New York public school teacher, Virginia mused that she was “anonymous from January to November.” When asked later in life if she still believed in Santa Claus, Virginia stated, “The verities of the editorial are just as true as they ever were.”
Virginia O’Hanlon Douglas died in 1971. Her original letter to The Sun was returned to her family and authenticated on Antiques Roadshow in the summer of 2012.
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