1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:01,920 Speaker 1: This Day in History Class is a production of I 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:06,920 Speaker 1: Heart Radio. Hi there, Welcome to This Day in History Class, 3 00:00:07,480 --> 00:00:10,920 Speaker 1: where we sift through the artifacts of history seven days 4 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:24,920 Speaker 1: a week. Today is September one, nineteen. The day was September. 5 00:00:27,840 --> 00:00:30,920 Speaker 1: In an editorial in The New York Sun, writer Francis 6 00:00:30,960 --> 00:00:34,680 Speaker 1: Varcela's Church responded to a girl's question of whether there 7 00:00:34,800 --> 00:00:38,480 Speaker 1: is really a Santa Claus. The editorial is the most 8 00:00:38,520 --> 00:00:43,040 Speaker 1: reprinted in the English language. Earlier that month, a girl 9 00:00:43,080 --> 00:00:46,440 Speaker 1: living in New York City named Virginia O'Hanlon wrote a 10 00:00:46,520 --> 00:00:50,200 Speaker 1: letter to The New York Sun. It said, Dear editor, 11 00:00:50,360 --> 00:00:53,320 Speaker 1: I am eight years old. Some of my little friends 12 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:56,840 Speaker 1: say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, if you 13 00:00:56,880 --> 00:00:59,760 Speaker 1: see it in the sun, it's so Please tell me 14 00:00:59,800 --> 00:01:04,160 Speaker 1: that is there a Santa Claus. Francis Parcella's Church was 15 00:01:04,200 --> 00:01:07,200 Speaker 1: a Columbia College graduate and a longtime writer at The 16 00:01:07,240 --> 00:01:10,960 Speaker 1: New York Sun. The newspaper was known for its engaging 17 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:16,080 Speaker 1: writing and its human interest stories. Church's brother once owned 18 00:01:16,200 --> 00:01:18,800 Speaker 1: The New York Sun and Church wrote for it. Then 19 00:01:19,400 --> 00:01:21,600 Speaker 1: he left the paper when the family sold it back 20 00:01:21,640 --> 00:01:25,600 Speaker 1: to its original owner, but he returned in eighteen seventy 21 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:28,480 Speaker 1: four as an editor and writer under editor in chief 22 00:01:28,640 --> 00:01:32,640 Speaker 1: Edward P. Mitchell. He wrote thousands of editorials for the Sun, 23 00:01:33,200 --> 00:01:36,600 Speaker 1: but he has best remembered for his response to Virginia O'Hanlon. 24 00:01:37,760 --> 00:01:40,840 Speaker 1: Church was given the task of answering Virginia's question in 25 00:01:40,880 --> 00:01:44,480 Speaker 1: the Sun. He was known for writing about controversial issues, 26 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:49,200 Speaker 1: especially once about politics and religion, so Virginia's question was 27 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:53,040 Speaker 1: normally not in his wheelhouse. Mitchell said that he quote 28 00:01:53,200 --> 00:01:55,680 Speaker 1: bristled and pooh pooed at the subject, but he took 29 00:01:55,720 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 1: the letter and turned with an air of resignation to 30 00:01:58,520 --> 00:02:01,240 Speaker 1: his desk, and in a short time produced the classic 31 00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:07,480 Speaker 1: expression of Christmas sentiment. He began his anonymous letter by writing, quote, Virginia, 32 00:02:07,720 --> 00:02:10,880 Speaker 1: your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by 33 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:14,400 Speaker 1: the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe 34 00:02:14,520 --> 00:02:17,720 Speaker 1: except they see. They think that nothing can be which 35 00:02:17,760 --> 00:02:21,640 Speaker 1: is not comprehensible by their little minds. He goes on 36 00:02:21,720 --> 00:02:25,480 Speaker 1: to say the following, Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa clause. 37 00:02:25,880 --> 00:02:30,080 Speaker 1: He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, 38 00:02:30,800 --> 00:02:33,320 Speaker 1: and you know that they abound and give to your 39 00:02:33,360 --> 00:02:37,640 Speaker 1: life its highest beauty. And joy alas how jury would 40 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:41,919 Speaker 1: be the world if there were no Santa Claus. Yes, Virginia, 41 00:02:42,000 --> 00:02:44,680 Speaker 1: there is a Santa Claus became the most memorable line 42 00:02:44,680 --> 00:02:47,680 Speaker 1: of the editorial, which did not deny there was a 43 00:02:47,720 --> 00:02:51,200 Speaker 1: Santa Clause, but also did not affirm that Santa Claus existed. 44 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:56,239 Speaker 1: It provided commentary on faith, much of which was more 45 00:02:56,280 --> 00:03:00,520 Speaker 1: for adult readers than for Virginia. Neither Church nor The 46 00:03:00,600 --> 00:03:04,560 Speaker 1: Sun considered the editorial remarkable. It was buried between other 47 00:03:04,720 --> 00:03:08,800 Speaker 1: unremarkable articles in the paper, but the editorial was popular 48 00:03:08,840 --> 00:03:12,200 Speaker 1: with readers of the Sun. That said, it did have 49 00:03:12,280 --> 00:03:15,440 Speaker 1: his critics, like those who thought Church was encouraging children 50 00:03:15,480 --> 00:03:21,120 Speaker 1: to believe in fantasies and discouraging healthy skepticism. After initially 51 00:03:21,160 --> 00:03:24,920 Speaker 1: turning down requests for reprints of Yes, Virginia, the paper 52 00:03:25,040 --> 00:03:29,000 Speaker 1: reprinted it in nineteen o two. It wasn't revealed that 53 00:03:29,120 --> 00:03:32,040 Speaker 1: Church wrote the editorial until after his death in nineteen 54 00:03:32,080 --> 00:03:36,119 Speaker 1: o six. At that point, the paper reprinted the editorial 55 00:03:36,200 --> 00:03:40,640 Speaker 1: under Church's name. In nineteen four, The Sun began publishing 56 00:03:40,640 --> 00:03:43,800 Speaker 1: it as the lead editorial around Christmas time every year 57 00:03:44,200 --> 00:03:48,760 Speaker 1: until the paper folded in nineteen fifty. Virginia Ohanland became 58 00:03:48,800 --> 00:03:51,920 Speaker 1: a school teacher and once said that she appreciated the 59 00:03:52,040 --> 00:03:56,240 Speaker 1: editorials philosophy more as she got older. Over the years, 60 00:03:56,240 --> 00:04:01,280 Speaker 1: the editorial became a part of popular culture, inspiring zig movies, plays, 61 00:04:01,400 --> 00:04:05,280 Speaker 1: and other works. I'm Eve Jeffcote and hopefully you know 62 00:04:05,360 --> 00:04:08,240 Speaker 1: a little more about history today than you did yesterday. 63 00:04:09,240 --> 00:04:11,840 Speaker 1: And if you haven't gotten your fill of history after 64 00:04:11,920 --> 00:04:16,440 Speaker 1: listening to today's episode, you can follow us on Twitter, Instagram, 65 00:04:16,440 --> 00:04:22,320 Speaker 1: and Facebook at t d i h V podcast, tune 66 00:04:22,320 --> 00:04:29,960 Speaker 1: in tomorrow for another Day in History. For more podcasts 67 00:04:29,960 --> 00:04:31,960 Speaker 1: for my Heart Radio, visit the I Heart Radio app, 68 00:04:32,040 --> 00:04:34,680 Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.