Episode Overview

Episode Title: Yes, Virginia
Podcast: From the Front Porch
Date: December 25, 2025
Host: Annie Jones (Owner, The Bookshelf Thomasville)

This special Christmas episode of “From the Front Porch” centers around the annual reading of the classic editorial “Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus.” For Annie and many listeners, this tradition brings meaning and comfort during the holiday season. The episode weaves personal memories, literary history, and the original editorial text to reflect on belief, hope, and the enduring magic of childhood.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. A Beloved Christmas Tradition

• Annie begins with a warm welcome and holiday greeting, noting that this is the first time the episode has aired on Christmas Day.
• She shares how reading the editorial has become an unintentional but meaningful podcast tradition.
• Annie notes how, amid the year’s busiest, brightest days, she hopes this reading encourages listeners to slow down and find a moment of warmth.

“It just wouldn’t be the Christmas season without it, at least in my opinion.” (Annie, 01:05)

2. Background of the Editorial (03:00)

• Annie provides historical context about the editorial:
  • Written by Francis P. Church for the New York Sun in 1897.
  • Reprinted annually until the paper’s closure in 1949.
  • Virginia O'Hanlon’s letter and her family tradition of seeking truth from the Sun.
• She highlights Church’s background and the circumstances of writing the response, emphasizing its enduring beauty and significance.

“His answer to Virginia’s simple question is one of the most beautiful, true things I’ve ever read.” (Annie, 04:45)

3. Annie’s Personal Connection (05:10)

• Annie reminisces about her own family tradition of reading the editorial, first with her father and later on her own.
• She reflects on how the message brought her comfort, especially as “belief and doubt began to meet.”
• Annie directly addresses listeners who might be clinging to hope, assuring them they’re not alone.

“If you feel like you’re clinging to hope year after year, I want you to know I am, too. And I think this letter is for you. I think it’s for all of us.” (Annie, 06:12)

The Editorial Reading: “Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus”

[Begins at 06:28]

• Annie reads the famous editorial, preserving the original language and tone.
• Key lines and themes:
  • The innocence of children and the power of belief.
  • The realness of things unseen—love, generosity, hope.
  • The importance of faith, poetry, and joy in a skeptical world.
  • The enduring, eternal spirit of Santa Claus as symbolic of hope and wonder.

“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 our life its highest beauty and joy.” (Editorial, read by Annie, 07:18)

“The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see.” (Editorial, 09:40)

“No Santa Claus. Thank God he lives and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, maybe ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the hearts of children.” (Editorial, 10:32)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Tradition:
  “Growing up, the editorial would appear in our local paper, the Tallahassee Democrat. It’s a tradition I hope still happens now, but I’m honestly not sure.” (Annie, 04:20)

• On Faith and Hope:
  “Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernatural beauty and glory beyond.” (Editorial, read by Annie, 10:07)

• On the Message’s Relevance:
  “I think its message is so relevant. If you feel like you’re clinging to hope year after year, I want you to know I am, too.” (Annie, 06:03)

Important Segment Timestamps

• 00:01 — Annie’s welcome and holiday wishes
• 01:05 — Reflection on the podcast tradition
• 03:00 — Historical background on “Yes, Virginia”
• 05:10 — Annie’s personal connection to the editorial
• 06:28 — Full reading of “Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus”
• 07:18 — Famous quote: “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus…”
• 10:32 — Concluding lines of the editorial

Episode Tone

Annie’s delivery is gentle, nostalgic, and heartfelt, fostering a sense of warmth and community for listeners. The reading is emotional—at times, Annie mentions she’s nearly moved to tears by the letter’s enduring hopefulness.

Conclusion

This Christmas episode offers comfort and renewal of spirit through a treasured literary tradition. Annie invites listeners—wherever they may stand on belief or doubt—to find encouragement and childlike wonder in the words of Francis Church’s editorial. The message that intangible things like love, generosity, and hope are as real as anything we see is a gift for all ages.

Merry Christmas from From the Front Porch and The Bookshelf Thomasville.