Yes Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus

In September of 1897, an eight-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon posed this question to the editor of The Sun, a popular New York newspaper of that day;

"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?"

The reply was an un-signed editorial by veteran newsman, Francis Pharcellus Church. It began with the sentence, "VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong." And then Mr. Church gives the assurance "Yes VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus." What followed was to become history's most reprinted newspaper editorial.

Obviously, if Virginia had lived in December 2016 and traveled through Vienna, Missouri, she would not have been the hardened skeptic that she was...

The photograph above shows just a few of the Santas that were in view as I traveled north on U.S. Route 63 a few days ago. When I traveled back through in the late afternoon... There were even MORE Santas and more being set up as I drove past!

I'm not sure about New York City but Santa Claus is alive and well in the Heartland!

The photographs below are from 2010 with a skiff of snow on to enhance the "Christmasy" effect.

For The Record: It doesn't distress me that children believe in Santa Claus. Many children have "real" things adversely affecting their lives, so believing in a Jolly Old Elf certainly can't be all That bad.

Here is the editorial from THE SUN