In Defense of Santa Claus

I know that there are many 'non-believers' out there in this grown-up fast-paced cynical world, but as for me and my house, we believe. I ran across this short story several years ago, and have always liked it's meaning.

"The Story of Saint Nicholas" - An excerpt from the article by Cory W. Creek

"... In late November or early December of 1977, I attended a Stake Conference where Elder LeGrand Richards spoke...because of the time of year, he happened to address the issue of Santa Claus. I listened intently because I was almost due to deliver our first child. What he said surprised me. He said that he thought Santa Claus putting out gifts for our children was a great invention. He explained that the children didn't need him, they would do just fine without him, it was the parents he said that needed Santa Claus. He said that it was our opportunity to learn to give anonymously to our own children when we expected no thank you or praise - a time when our only thoughts were on making them happy..."

And of course, my favorite tribute to good Old Saint Nick, it definitely bears repeating. :)

"Eight-year-old Virginia O'Hanlon wrote a letter to the editor of New York's Sun, and the quick response was printed as an unsigned editorial Sept. 21, 1897. The work of veteran newsman Francis Pharcellus Church has since become history's most reprinted newspaper editorial, appearing in part or whole in dozens of languages in books, movies, and other editorials, and on posters and stamps.

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

115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] 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 they 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 may 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, fancy, 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 he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood. "

My mother always placed a statue on her piano at Christmastime. It depicted the Savior asleep in a manger with a humble Santa on bended knee bowing before his King with his hat over his heart in reverent worship. Believe what you may, but there is no denying the magic of the season; the desire to do something wonderful and kind annonymously for someone else JUST to make them happy. True, he has become commercialized, and can be over-used as bribery for misbehaving children, but what Santa truly represents is the spirit of giving. There may be one, there may be many, he may fly, run, crawl, or walk, but he is as we all should be, a humble servant of mankind, expecting nothing in return. Call me what you may, but even without the magic of presents or reindeer, I believe.