Original article in The New York Sun
was the title of an
editorial appearing in the
September 21,
1897 edition of the
New York Sun. The editorial, which included the famous reply "
Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus", has become an indelible part of popular
Christmas lore in the United States and Canada.
History
In 1897, Dr. Philip O’Hanlon, a coroner's assistant on Manhattan's
Upper West Side, was asked by his then eight-year-old daughter, Virginia (1889-1971), whether
Santa Claus really existed.
Virginia O'Hanlon had begun to doubt there was a
Santa Claus, because her friends had told her that he did not exist.
Dr. O’Hanlon suggested she write to the
New York Sun, a prominent New York City newspaper at the time, assuring her that "If you see it in The Sun, it's so." While he may have been
passing the buck, he unwittingly gave one of the paper's editors,
Francis Pharcellus Church, an opportunity to rise above the simple question, and address the
philosophical issues behind it.
Church was a
war correspondent during the
American Civil War, a time which saw great suffering and a corresponding lack of hope and faith in much of society. Although the paper ran the editorial in the seventh place on the editorial page, below even an editorial on the newly invented "
chainless bicycle," its message was very moving to many people who read it. More than a century later it remains the most reprinted editorial ever to run in any newspaper in the English language.
In 1972, after seeing Virginia O'Hanlon's obituary in the
New York Times, four friends formed a company called Elizabeth Press and published a children's book titled
Yes, Virginia that illustrated the editorial and included a brief history of the main characters. The book's creators took the book to Warner Brothers who eventually did the Emmy award-winning Television show based on the editorial.
The History Channel, in a special that aired on February 21, 2001, noted that Virginia gave the original letter to a granddaughter, who pasted it in a scrapbook. It was feared that the letter was destroyed in a house fire, but thirty years after the fire, it was discovered intact.
Some people have questioned the veracity of the letter's authorship, expressing doubt that a young girl such as Virginia would refer to children her own age as "my little friends." However, the original copy of the letter appeared and was authenticated by an appraiser on the
Antiques Roadshow in 1998. Its value was appraised by Kathleen Guzman, formerly of Christie's - now with
PBS'
Antiques Roadshow - at approximately $50,000.
Who was Virginia?
Virginia O'Hanlon's full name is Laura Virginia O'Hanlon Douglas. She was born on July 20, 1889 in
Manhattan, New York. She was married to Edward Douglas and was listed as divorced in the 1930 United States Census. Her marriage to Douglas was brief and ended with him deserting her shortly before their child, Laura, was born.
Virginia received her Bachelor of Arts from
Hunter College in 1910; a Master's degree in Education from
Columbia University in 1912, and a doctorate from
Fordham University. Virginia was a school teacher in the New York City School system. She started her career as an educator in 1912, became a junior principal in 1935, and retired in 1959.
Virginia died on May 13, 1971 in a nursing home in
Valatie, New York. She is buried at the Chatham Rural Cemetery in
Chatham, New York.
Legacy
Every year, Virginia's letter and Church's response are read at the
Yule Log ceremony at Church's alma mater,
Columbia College of Columbia University.
The story of Virginia's inquiry and the
Sun's response was adapted into an
Emmy Award-winning
animated television special in 1974, animated by
Bill Meléndez (best known for his work on the various
Peanuts specials) and featuring the voices of
Jim Backus and
Jimmy Osmond, and in 1991 it was adapted into a made-for-TV movie with
Richard Thomas and
Charles Bronson. In New York City, local television journalist
Gabe Pressman has recounted the story each Christmas for the past thirty years.
Virginia O’Hanlon received a steady stream of mail about her letter throughout her life. She would include a copy of the editorial in her replies. In an interview later in life, she credited the editorial with shaping the direction of her life quite positively.
References in popular culture
- The Dresden Dolls used Yes, Virginia... as the title of their second album. The story of Virginia and the New York Sun article is also referenced by the track "Mrs. O". The Dresden Dolls' 2008 compilation album, No, Virginia... featured a dead Santa Claus on the cover as a humorous reference to its namesake.
- MTV's animated series Daria made several references to the letter in its five-season run.
- In the TV show Veronica Mars, the tenth episode of the first season ends with the line "No Veronica, there is no Santa Claus"
- In his book Liberwocky, Victor Gold includes a parody of the editorial, listing reasons why Santa Claus is "wanted" by the U.S. government.
- Season 4 episode 14 of Hercules: the Legendary Journeys, is an episode titled "Yes Virginia, there is a Hercules". At the end of this episode it is revealed that Kevin Sorbo (the actor who portrays Hercules in the show) is in fact Hercules, and exists in the present day.
- In Season 2 Episode 13 ("Strangled") of "Crossing Jordan," Dr. Nigel Townsand, criminologist, exclaims: "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus!" after he hears some good news.
- In 1950 Wolcott Gibbs of The New Yorker wrote a satirical version of the Church letter, parodying the style of Westbrook Pegler, and depicting Santa Claus as an old communist and union racketeer also known as Comrade Jelly Belly.
- When the Detroit Lions won their first game of the 2001 season after losing their first 12 games, Jay Leno, who mocked the Lions for losing all season long, joked "There was a new Christmas movie released this weekend. It was called 'Yes, Detroit, There Is An End Zone.'"
- Cartoon Network is also using, "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus," as a slogan during the '08-'09 holiday season.
- In the Marvel Holiday Special, an ex-employee of Stark Industries named Virginia remodels a version of Ultron into Santron, to prove to her childhood peers that Santa does exist. It goes AWOL and proceeds to attack the Avengers at their holiday party and is defeated. The Avengers pay a visit to Virginia, and Captain America makes a speech, affirming that "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus."
- In the 2005 movie, Santa's Slay, Bill Goldberg, as Santa, uses the line before going on a violent rampage at a family Christmas Party.
- In the Christmas Special of Alf a portion of the editorial is read.
See also
Bibliography
- American National Biography. "Virginia O'Hanlon". V. 16. 1999. p. 645-646.
References and notes
