A handwritten letter on aged paper reads: "Dear Editor, I am eight 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 115 W. 95th St.

120 years later, what do we tell Virginia?


By Forest Riggs

There are no reindeer paws up on the rooftop, only sunbeams beating down, driving away any feelings of winter and Christmas. The idea of the “Christmas Spirit†seems to be lost in a world filled with doubt, anger, dismay and distrust.
Today, there are more Grinches in the world than ever could have been imagined when the original tale was constructed. These days, they come in an array of forms, shapes and ideologies, from presidents and leaders to hate-filled human beings spreading disharmony and division. With all the unhappiness and problems in the world, coupled with the less-than-winter-like weather, it is becoming increasingly difficult to find the Christmas spirit anywhere.
One can only stay in their pajamas and watch so many Christmas movies and holiday-themed variety shows, for just so long. MeTV, Hallmark, The Kube, Lifetime and other channels bring a flood of old time favorites and new holiday movies each year. They come in every fashion, from the old black-and-whites to new-fangled, Pixar and computer-generated, screen-covering images. Angels to devils, elves to giants, animated characters and even some Claymation now and then. Sadly, it is all about the bucks and cashing in on Christmas.
Even the stores start displaying and advertising Christmas at the end of August! No wonder we can’t find the spirit—it is lost in the hype. It is no longer a very special time of year, long awaited, but practically has become all year.
In all this mess, how do we find the Christmas spirit—the kind we had as children, all trusting and certainly all believing with wishful hearts and dreams?

Meet Virginia
One hundred and twenty years ago, a little eight year-old girl, upon the suggestion of her father, wrote a letter to the New York Sun newspaper. Friends had told her there was no Santa Claus and she was devastated, but determined to find the truth. Her father suggested the letter and said, “Virginia, if you see it in the Sun, it must be true.â€
Over the past 12 decades, this little story and subsequent attention to her letter and the printed response—the most reprinted newspaper article of all time—became the stuff of legend and a true, Christmas folktale.
Born Laura Virginia O’Hanlon in 1889, she had no idea that her simple request sent to Sun editor Francis Pharcellus Church. Editor Church, who was more or less on a downward spiral in his personal life and career, was assigned the task of answering the little girl’s letter. Thinking it first to be a joke, Church was not so happy. However, as he searched and debated just how to respond, he came across people and ideas that gave him the answers. Little Virginia and Church’s article appeared on page seven of the Sun, September 21, 1897.
Since then, the letter has been reprinted, made into movies, plays, cards and all the cornucopia of Christmas as we know it. Today, it is very common to hear the phrase, “Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.†People comically use the phrase “Yes Virginia,†when they want to insist that something is true.
In his wordy response, Church wrote of things that bring great joy, things that make a difference, things that question reasons and ideas behind actions. Church gave some very clear and acceptable reasons to believe in Santa Claus. Now, as back then, this is much needed. Even if only an idea, Santa Claus is needed.
Virginia went on to earn a Bachelor’s Degree in 1910 from Hunter College, a Master’s degree from Columbia in 1912 and a Doctorate from Fordham in 1930. She married Edward Douglas in the early 1910s; however, the marriage was short-lived and he left her just prior to the birth of their daughter, Laura. Virginia became a principal and eventually an administrator for New York City Independent School District, from where she retired in 1959.
The little girl that wrote the letter became an adult that loved to answer letters and inquiries about her original letter and the Sun’s response, often including a copy of both in her replies. O’Hanlon died on May 13, 1971 at the age of 81, have successfully added to tapestry of Americana and Christmas.

It’s still true, Virginia
Today, I would again respond, “Yes Virginia, there is indeed a Santa Claus.†I would go on to explain how the world has become very complex and filled with things that pull us away from believing something as pure and sweet as Santa Claus.
The commercialization of Christmas and the constant bombardment of information that stirs doubts and fears, causing mistrust and anger, have made it harder to find Santa, but he is there. He is there in the kind acts and deeds that caring people do for one another. He is there in a twinkling eye, a tender kiss, a hug or even a visit to an elderly or shut-in friend. The laughter and crying of a newborn baby, the visitation or a card to someone incarcerated, caring for someone that is ill or infirm confirms he is there. That same spirit that Church described in 1897 is still here in 2017; it’s just a little harder to find among all the muck and superficiality of today’s world.
So if you can, forget the lack of snow, non-frosted window panes and frustrations that dampen the spirit. Google Church’s response and think about his words. They still apply today.
Merry Christmas, Virginia.

Forest Riggs, a resident of Galveston is no stranger to the adventures of life. A former educator and business owner, he enjoys Island life and all that comes with it. He says he is a “raconteur with a quixotic, gypsy spirit.†He has written for several newspapers and magazines as well as other writing pursuits, including a novel and collection of short stories.

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