A (0:01)

Welcome to from the Front Porch, a conversational podcast about books, small business, and life in the South. I'm Annie Jones, owner of the Bookshelf and Independent bookstore in beautiful downtown Thomasville, Georgia, and Merry Christmas. This week it's time for our annual reading of yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus. It's the busiest and brightest time of the year at the Bookshelf, and for you too is what I'm guessing. So I wanted to take a minute and slow down and I think for the first time ever, this actually falls on Christmas Day. For the past few years I've recorded my reading of yes, Virginia, and without really meaning for it to it, it's become a From the Front Porch tradition. It just wouldn't be the Christmas season without it, at least in my opinion. A Little Bit of Background Francis P. Church's editorial yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus was an immediate sensation, becoming one of the most famous editorials ever written. It first appeared in the New York sun in 1897 and was reprinted annually until 1949, when the newspaper went out of business 36 years after her letter was printed. Virginia O' Hanlon recalled the events that prompted her letter quite naturally. I believed in Santa Claus, she said, for he had never disappointed me. But when less fortunate little boys and girls said there wasn't any Santa Claus, I was filled with doubts. I asked my father, and he was a little evasive on the subject. It was a habit in our family that whenever any doubts came up as to how to pronounce a word or some question of historical fact was in doubt, we wrote to the Question and Answer column in the Sun. Father would always say, if you see it in the sun, it's so. And that settled the matter. And so Virginia sat down and wrote her parents favorite newspaper. Her letter found its way into the hands of a veteran editor, Frances P. Church, son of a Baptist minister. Church had covered the Civil War for the New York Times and had worked on the New York sun for 20 years, more recently as an anonymous editorial writer. When controversial subjects had to be tackled on the editorial page, especially those dealing with theology, the assignments were given to Church. His answer to Virginia's simple question is one of the most beautiful, true things I've ever read. 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. My dad would read it to us each year, and as I got older I would read it for myself, finding Church's words immensely Comforting as belief and doubt began to meet in my brain these days. Can you tell? I can barely read the letter aloud without crying. 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. And I think this letter is for you. I think it's for all of us. Dear Editor, I am eight years old. Some of my little friends say that there is no Santa Claus. Papa says if you see it in the sun, it is so. Please tell me the truth. Is there a Santa Claus? 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 our life its highest beauty and joy. Alas, how dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. If 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 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 that 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 or 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 supernatural beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world. There is nothing else as real and abiding. No Santa Claus. Thank God he lives and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, maybe 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the hearts of children. You can find a copy of the editorial in its entirety through the link in our show Notes Merry Christmas. From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of the Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in Thomasville, Georgia. You can follow the Bookshelf's daily happenings on Instagram ookshelftville and all the books from today's episode can be purchased online through our store website Bookshelf Thomas A full transcript of today's podcast episode can be found at. From the frontporchpodcast.com Special thanks to Studio D Podcast Production for production of from the Front Porch and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations. Our executive producers of today's episode are Cami Tidwell, Jamie Treadwell, Linda Lee Jost Jean Queens Martha Stephanie Dean Beth Ashley Farrell, Amanda Wickham, Nicole Marcy Wendy Jenkins. Thank you all for your support of from the Front Porch. If you'd like to support from the Front Porch, please leave a review on Apple Podcasts. Your input helps us make the show even better and helps us reach new listeners. All you have to do is open up the podcast app on your phone, look for from the Front Porch, scroll down until you see, write a review and tell us what you think. Or if you're so inclined, support us. Over on Patreon, where we have three levels of support. Each level has an amazing number of benefits like bonus content, access to live events, discounts and giveaways. Just go to patreon.com from the front porch. We're so grateful for you and we look forward to meeting back here next week. Sam.