Is Santa Claus real ?

When my kids asked me, I pulled out the trusty editorial from the NY Sun, which I have copy and pasted below: Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus By Francis P. Church, first published in The New York Sun in 1897. [See The People’s Almanac, pp. 1358–9.] 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. 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 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. 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 faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished. 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 that curtain and view and picture the supernal 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. I've always thought this was one of the beautiful editorials ever written.

If a child asked me this question I'd say "Of course he is real" for if I could go back in time & change how long I believed in Santa I would believe until I couldn't anymore. An imagination is a very healthy thing for a child to have.

well, the Santa that Westerners think of today, red suit, jolly, white beard was actually created by The Coca Cola Company. the rein deers and sleigh are from the poem Twas The Night Before Christmas which is from the 1800's. here's the complete low down on the jolly old elf: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Claus maybe you can find some things in there to share with your students. if you want my opinion.....ans i'm 46 years old......Santa is indeed real. Happy Holidays!

no theres no santa claus, if theres one he must be magical. he wont die! santa claus is just a part of the literature, you know that teacher, there must be a person with that name but he isnt magical.

I don't have kids just yet, maybe in a few years. I know that one day that question will come and I think my answer will be, he's real if you believe in your heart he is.

My kids (ages 3 and 5) asked me that same question last week. I didn't know how to answer it, because they are so young I still wanted them to have that joy. My neighbor told me about a site she used that lets you upload a picture of your living room and place Santa in it. they email you the picture to show your kids proof! I did it, and the kids loved it...it looked so real my husband thought I had another man at the house dressed up like santa! Haha. The site was www.icaughtsanta.com.

You should be prepared for this question to come up every year at this time. Haven't you heard about Virginia O"Hanlon and her letter to the New York Sun newspaper. Read it and it will give you a good answer for the next time this question comes up. http://www.newseum.org/yesvirginia/

If my son ever asked this question I would tell him that of course he's real until my son didn't want to believe in it anymore. I'm going to let him decide when he doesn't want to believe this anymore. It's just unfortunate that other kids have to wreck it for the ones that still believe. Have a good day

My Dear Friend Yes Santa Claus is real . He lives in NOrth pole of earth . He comes to some fo the cute kids on Christmas night . Happy Mylotting ! Take Care ! Ganesh !

i dont think santa is real.. he is just an imagination created by ourselves... afterall you cannot expect an old fat grandpa flying across the sky at christmas midnight on his sleidge, distributing gifts to the children... Now this is something absurd dear...!!!

I have two kids of 7 and 3. They never need to ask, cause I always told them that Santa is like angels: they only exist when you believe they exist. You can choose not to believe but, then, you loose all the funny stuff. And they choose to believe. I know, someday they will think they're grown up, and maybe they'll choose not to believe. I will be sad, and they know that. But, it's their choice... So far, they're praying their Guardian Angel to remember Santa of their good deeds...

May I ask how old the children were. I have heard a lot of mothers who were upset that a teacher decided to ruin Christmas for their children. I guess it depends on their age but a lot of parents prefer this information come from them instead of having the child come home from school crying because a teacher told them he isn't real. So to speak. It's a touchy subject and I think for a safe answer it should have been yes. He's real just like 'god' and other beings he's real. Just because you don't see him doesn't mean he doesn't exists. Sort of thing. Now if your in a public school the god thing may not fly but if your in a catholic school that's the best way to go about it.

It all depends on the age of the child. Once you tell a child that santa claus isnt real then the spirit of what christmas was to a child slowly dissapears and it just turns into another birthday for the child. I would probably tell the truth when i felt that my child was at the right age and maturity level.

lets take a look at this, santa is not someone who comes down a chimney or eats cookies and milk or leave presents.. but he isent an imaginary person either yes he is real tell them only if they belive cause that is what makes santa live on

This is the age old problem of 'do we tell the truth'! We drum into our children that it important to tell the truth at all times and then we lie to them about Father Christmas, Tooth Fairy, etc. Hmmmm. Tricky. My method? I say that there are many unexplained things in life and as you get older you will come across more and more of them. If you worry your mind about them all you will have no room in your brain left to deal with the real and important things in life. So accept that some things are magic, for use of a better word, and just simply 'are'. Father Christmas is magic in its nicest form and to be loved and cherished for as long as you want him to be there for you.

Oh thats a tough question considering different parents teach their children different things about Santa Clause. I will teach my children "as long as you believe" because like others here I wish I had believed longer! :-)

I also have the same question. When I was young I knew Santa's real. I got influenced by TV programs about Santa rewarding good kids and punishing bad ones. I also have waited for his presents and so on. But as I grew up I realized he's just an imagination. Well, is he? I have read a lot of stories/ accounts about the REAL Santa Claus and that he is a human or a saint. Maybe the sleigh thing is fiction,lol.If my kids will ask me about Santa claus, I would make them believe too that he's magical and so on. Then when they are grown-ups I'd tell them he is just a simple guy or a saint.happy posting!

yup!..santa is real,,,he is one of catholic saints.,., santa is real for being of his gratefulness,,

i say that what you did was good. but any way sooner or later they'll get to know about it. it depends on the age they have. if you ask a 18 year old, he justtell you thats a stupid question. for me its alright. but they will know about it later.

LOL, that was a funny answer, that is the most unique answer i think that a teacher would answer to her students =), although it correct that you have stated a fact, that Santa Claus is not existing. But maybe you could have thought of other answer so the kids would not get disappointed, because until now a lot of kids believe on Santa. Anyway, as for me, if my kids would ask me about Santa, i would tell them that Santa could be anyone, He is someone who gives you gifts, for being a good kid. So they better be good or "Santa" wont come and visit them. And then after that i would explain that i could be their Santa Claus, so they wont ask any questions anymore, the important thing is that they know that they would be receiving gifts on Christmas =).