Is There a Santa Claus? 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.
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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.[1]
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.[2]
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.[1]
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.[3]
Virginia died on May 13, 1971 in a nursing home in Valatie, New York.[4] 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.[5]
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.[citation needed]
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.[6] In an interview later in life, she credited the editorial with shaping the direction of her life quite positively.[7]
References in popular culture
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Lists of miscellaneous information should be avoided. Please relocate any relevant information into appropriate sections or articles. (September 2008) |
- Yes, Virginia (2009) Animated Holiday Special on CBS: Yes, Virginia, is a new animated Christmas special starring Neil Patrick Harris, Jennifer Love Hewitt and Alfred Molina. The film, directed by Pete Circuitt and animated by Starz Toronto, makers of Tim Burton's 9, is a fictionalized version of the Virginia O'Hanlon story and shows her quest across New York City to prove that Santa Claus is real. This heartwarming tale of a little girl who taught the whole world to believe makes its television debut on Friday, Dec. 11 (8:00-8:30 PM, ET/PT), on CBS.
- 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.
"Weird Al" Yankovic used the line "Yes, Virginia, now Santa's doing time" in his Christmas parody, "The Night Santa Went Crazy".[8] These lyrics were changed to "Yes, Virginia, now Santa Claus is dead" for the "Extra Gory Version".[9]- In Season 1 Episode 5 of Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, Detective Munch expounds "Yes, Santa, there is a Virginia" when the missing person of interest Virginia Hayes is found in Grand Central Station.
- 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.[10]
- John Steinbeck wrote a parody 'Yes Joe, There Is a Santa Claus' in a letter to Joseph Bryan III dated December 17, 1957.[11]
- 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.'"
- The 2008 Macy's holiday commercial features Jessica Simpson, Donald Trump, Martha Stewart and others quoting various popular lines from "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus."[12] The opening lines appeared again in the 2009 holiday commercial featuring Queen Latifah.
- 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.
- The Freedom From Religion Foundation ran a bus ad campaign with the slogan "Yes, Virginia, there is no god." [13]
See also
Bibliography
- American National Biography. "Virginia O'Hanlon". V. 16. 1999. p. 645-646.
References and notes
- Thomas Vinciguerra (1997-09-21). "Yes, Virginia, A Thousand Times Yes". The Week in Review (The New York Times).
- ^ a b Campbell, W. Joseph (Spring 2005). "The grudging emergence of American journalism's classic editorial: New details about "Is There A Santa Claus?"". American Journalism Review (University of Maryland, College Park: Philip Merrill College of Journalism) 22 (2). http://academic2.american.edu/~wjc/santa.htm. Retrieved 2007-10-29.
- ^ Antiques Roadshow Broadcast Highlights, Phoenix Arizona 1998, Public Broadcasting Service, accessed September 26, 2007
- ^ "Virginia, Now 70, Quits As Teacher; School Principal Who at 8 Asked 'Is There a Santa?' Is a Guest at Dinner" (Abstract of subscription pdf). The New York Times. 1959-06-12. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F60E12FC3558137B93C0A8178DD85F4D8585F9. Retrieved 2007-10-29. "Mrs. Laura Virginia Douglas, retiring after forty-three years as a public school teacher and principal, was given a farewell dinner by her colleagues last night at the Towers Hotel in Brooklyn."
- ^ "Virginia O'Hanlon, Santa's Friend, Dies; Virginia O'Hanlon Dead at 81" (Abstract of subscription pdf). The New York Times. 1971-05-14. http://select.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=F50D17FD355F127A93C6A8178ED85F458785F9. Retrieved 2007-10-29. "Valatie, N. Y., May 13 - Virginia O'Hanlon Douglas, who as a child was reassured that "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus", died today at the age of 81."
- ^ "Barnard and Columbia holiday events - Yule Log Ceremony". Barnard Campus News. Barnard College, New York City. 2001-12-04. http://barnard.edu/newnews/news120401.html. Retrieved 2007-11-13. "During the Yule Log ceremony, the passing of the seasons is marked by the reading of... the famous editorial on the true spirit of Christmas, "Yes, Virginia, There Is A Santa Claus""
- ^ Morrison, Jim "Santa Junior"; McElhany, Jennifer. "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus". National Christmas Centre, Exhibits. National Christmas Centre. http://www.nationalchristmascenter.com/exhibits/htm/yesvirginia.htm. Retrieved 2007-11-13. "Throughout her life she received a steady stream of mail about her Santa Claus letter, and to each reply she attached an attractive printed copy of the Church editorial."
- ^ Radio Broadcast December 24, 1963
- ^ The Night Santa Went Crazy lyrics by Weird Al Yankovic
- ^ The Night Santa Went Crazy (Extra Gory Version) lyrics by Weird Al Yankovic
- ^ Collected in Gibbs's More in Sorrow, 1958.
- ^ Steinbeck: a life in letters. ed. Elaine Steinbeck & Robert Wallsten, Pan: London, 1979.
- ^ http://www.macysinc.com/pressroom/macys/macys150/holidaycampaign/yesvirginia.asp
- ^ http://www.cnsnews.com/news/article/57076
External links
- [1]: Yes Virginia (2009) Animated Holiday Special on CBS Dec 11. Official Site.
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Wikisource has original text related to this article: |
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus |
- Full text of the editorial with digital image from the original newspaper. From the Newseum, Arlington, VA
- Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus (1974 animated) at the Internet Movie Database
- Yes Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus (1991) at the Internet Movie Database
- CBC radio interview of Virginia O'Hanlon Douglas in 1963
- Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus at Project Gutenberg (Audio files of the text by eight different readers)
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