Originally published in The Vidette-Messenger of Porter County on December 12, 1975.
V-M VIEWPOINT
Is There A Santa Claus?
A NINE-YEAR-OLD student from Valparaiso has asked The Vidette-Messenger a most profound question: “Is There a Santa Claus?” The girl wrote:
“IS THERE a Santa Claus? Please would you print my answer in the paper? It’s not that I want my name in the paper. I just want the truth, please.
“I believe, but nobody’s sure, so I want to know from you. The reason I want it in the paper is because I want other children to see it.”
WE THANK her for the inquiry, and commend her for having a searching mind. While this answer is intended primarily for her, we would trust that all her young friends and people everywhere would take cognizance of the indisputable truth that indeed there is a Santa Claus.
Most frequently Santa is portrayed as embodying the Spirit of Christmas ー and that he most certainly does. But what is too frequently forgotten is that his light shines throughout each year.
Santa Claus is readily identified as being responsible for bringing toys, clothing and good things to eat to homes throughout the land. He is less discernible when he provides necessities to the needy during this season but these actions are nonetheless true signs of his Spirit of Christmas.
HE IS VERY much present when we give our abundance to those less fortunate than we are. Sharing with our family, relatives and friends is a true sign that we love them, but the real Spirit of Christmas is much more than this. It is helping strangers, orphans, windows and the poor to bask in the warmth of this season.
We have always believed that there is a Santa Claus. Sometimes ー particularly as we grow older ー we have our doubts. But that is human weakness.
There is a great mystery surrounding him. Mostly he acts quietly. He is not one to stay around long enough for us to say “thanks” to him.
BUT WE OWE him much. Without him this would be a bleak world. There would be little true hope, love or joy.
To all our young children, we would say that we all are made very much aware of Santa Claus during the Christmas holidays. We see him in the store, or his picture appears in the newspaper, or his “Ho-Ho-Ho” resounds over the airwaves via the television set.
That is all well and good. And that’s the way it should be. We want him to make his presence felt at this time of the year.
BUT THE SPIRIT of Christmas somehow has a way of fading out during the rest of the year. We have a tendency to forget about the needy and those less fortunate than we are. This young student has asked us to tell her whether or not there is a Santa Claus. And we assure her there is.
However, now we would like to ask her, her mother, her father, and people everywhere to help us make that Spirit of Christmas live throughout the year. It can. It must. But we all must join together in making it work. Then only will we all have a chance to make this a better world in which to live.
Then indeed only can we truly join with Santa Claus in saying, “Merry Christmas ーAnd a Good New Year.”
