in the spirit of Only 24 days left in the War on Christmas!
I say we give Virginia the straight dope
no room for silly superstition our modern world
how would you reply?
be blunt if you must, kind if you want to
Well, our very own Cecil Adams had a masterful treatise on this very topic on 12/26/1997 where he concludes that “Santa Claus’ existence cannot be definitely ruled out.”
good enough for me
Ah.
Another person signing up for the War On Fun.
Today, of course, the question woulfd be posted on the internet, and we would coclude, as usual, that “Virginia” was really a fat, balding, fifty-something year old guy masquerading as a girl.
Sorry, Santa, there is no Virginia.
“Humbug! Humbug!”
“humbug, Mr. Baldrick?”
Ms Viginia O’Hanlon
It has come to our attention that you are expressing interest in the individual known as Claus, Santa. This individual is presently being held in a secure facility after violating US borders, and under enhanced interrogation has admitted to Al Qaeda ties, as well as the intent to leave incendiary material in the homes he deemed “naughty”. What is your interest in this person, and what information can you provide about him and his activities?
Dept. of Homeland Security
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. Only 7 left in stock.
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I presume you know Arlo Guthrie’s “The Pause of Mr. Claus”…
Santa Claus has a red suit
Must be a Communist
And a beard, and long hair
Must be a pacifist
What’s in the pipe that he’s smoking?..
Well, it’s the exact same argument presented in debates on religion here, which dress themselves up as intellectual…
I actually think Santa is a really good lesson in skepticism for our children. We trick children into believing that there’s this benevolent being that’s always watching over them, watching them at all times to evaluate their behavior, and rewarding good behavior. Our culture embraces this guy, your peers and those you trust are telling you he’s real, and you’re forming a real emotional stake in his existance.
And then the rug is pulled out from under your feet. Oh, ha ha, yes, there’s no magic guy who somehow delivers presents to the whole world in one night. It was always your parents all along, tricking you. Even though you were so sure in your heart that Santa must be real, well, no, there’s just no magic there. Sorry.
I wonder how many kids were put on a path to rationalism and skepticism by the Santa revelation. The only difference with religion is that the parents sincerely believe along with the kids. Breaking the Santa myth is psychologically a good step in developing the tools to question other myths.
There certainly is something intagible known as “Christmas spirit”. If someone wants to give the intangible a coporeal body and call it “Santa Claus”, who am I to argue?
I got one better, up here if the kids still believes he exists. One environmentalist up here is going after children with the hopes I suppose it sends the kids crying to their parents.
The fatman is going to drown Virginia.
No, I didn’t. Now I must get a copy.
Personally, I wish I had thought to tell my children the story of St. Nicholas and the prostitutes. No stocking should be hung without that tender memory.
"Dear Virginia.
"It’s the 21st century.
"Google it.
Andy Rooney once said, “there is a Santa Claus, but he doesn’t always show up” - words to that effect.
"Dear Virginia,
Daddy is stupid. Looking at the sun is bad for you."
…
I prefer Terry Pratchett’s version of it, as in the Hogfather. I like to think that this is one of the little lies we tell children to condition ourselves as human beings to believe in the big lies, like peace, democracy, justice and hope.
Well, Virginia - would it be better if I said he existed or if I said to you that there are, right at this moment, hundreds of thousands of adults there working to make it like he existed?
Next you’ll tell us there’s no Hanukkah Harry, yeah right.
Except that, I never felt tricked. I never had the rug pulled out from under my feet. At some age, I realized that “Santa Claus” was a benevolent conspiracy to make me, and all children, happy. Santa Claus was my parents arranging for me to have toys and candy and happy surprises, without them taking credit for it. Which, when you’re old enough to appreciate it, is a more wonderful and heart-gladdening thing than the literal existence of a fat elf in a red suit who lives at the North Pole.
So today what I believe is that Santa Claus is a symbol of, or metaphor for, something that really does exist.