Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus

The story behind this classic newspaper article is that in 1897, the New York Sun received a letter from an eight-year-old girl, Virginia O’Hanlon, asking whether Santa Claus exists. Her father encouraged her to send the question to The Sun, "because if you see it in The Sun, it's so."

It is probably the most famous letter to the editor ever published and because of that, it is also the most reprinted newspaper editorial in the English language. It has also been re-published in book and movie format.

Francis P. Church of The Sun replied with an editorial that has become a well-known Christmas classic. His answer gave a resounding, "Yes!" by focusing on concepts like love, generosity, devotion, beauty, joy, and faith. 

More than 120 years after the original editorial was published, these sentiments still encourage us today during the season of hope.

The popular Christmas editorial reads:

Is There a Santa Claus?

We take pleasure in answering at once and thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of The Sun:

"Dear Editor - I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says if you see it in the Sun, it's so. Please tell me the truth — is there a Santa Claus?

— Virginia O’Hanlon, 195 West Ninety-Fifth Street"

Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men’s or children’s, are little. In this great universe of ours, man is a mere insect, an ant, is his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge. 

Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus. It would be as dreary as if there were no Virginia. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment except in sense and sight. The eternal light with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished. 

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor man can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not. But that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world. 

You may tear apart the baby’s rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest men that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, Virginia, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding. 

 

No Santa Claus! Thank God! He lives, and he will live forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

I hope this timeless piece serves as a reminder of some of the most important parts of the Christmas season. "The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor man can see."

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The "Secret" to Making No Bake Choc Oat Cookies

No Bake Choc Oat Cookies were a favorite in the Harris household growing up. We made them nearly every year at Christmastime. And as easy as they are to make (no baking, few ingredients), some years they might come out dry and crumbly (or even worse, they might not set up at all).

Over the years we've figured out a few tips to share to ensure that your batch of No Bake Cookies comes out perfect every time.

Tips for Making Perfect No Bake Choc Oat Cookies

• First, make sure that you measure out all ingredients ahead of time. You need to work quickly when mixing these cookies. So if you're trying to measure out a cup of peanut butter while timing your boiling, you'll end up boiling your mixture for too long. Every. Single. Time.
• Make sure that you start timing your boiling after the mixture comes to a full, rolling boil. Then boil the mixture for exactly 1 minute and 15 seconds. Do not start timing as soon as you see bubbles. You won't boil your mixture enough that way.
• Don’t substitute old fashioned or rolled oats. Instant or "quick" oats are a must-have for this recipe. The cookies won’t have the same texture if you use a different type of oats.
• Finally, (and this one's REALLY important), never make No Bake Cookies when there's moisture in the air. Rain? Nope. Snow? Negative. High humidity because you're in the South and winter temperatures haven't kicked in yet? Sorry, but no. Running a humidifier in your home? Hope you like eating your cookies with a spoon. Seriously, you need a perfectly dry day for these cookies to set up correctly. Any hint of moisture in the air will cause them to stay gooey.

No Bake Choc Oat Cookies

1 stick butter

2 cups granulated sugar

1/2 cup milk

4 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 cup creamy peanut butter

3 cups instant oats

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

1. Line baking sheets with wax paper and set aside. 
2. Measure your peanut butter and oats and get out your vanilla and measuring spoon. Set aside.
3. In a medium saucepan, add butter, sugar, milk, and cocoa powder. Place on medium heat.
4. Bring the mixture in the saucepan to a rolling boil. 
5. Once it is at a full boil, boil for exactly 1 minute and 15 seconds, then immediately remove from the heat.
6. Add in the peanut butter and stir. Add in the oats and stir. Add in the vanilla and stir.
7. Drop by tablespoon onto lined baking sheets.
8. Let cool for approximately 30 minutes or until set.
9. Store in an airtight container.

Fun Fact

These cookies go by many different names: No Bake Cookies, Chocolate Oatmeal Cookies, Cow Pies, Stovetop Cookies, or Preacher Cookies. The recipe is actually listed in our family cookbook as Preacher Cookies, but we always called them No Bake Choc Oats.

The reason they are sometimes called Preacher Cookies is because years ago when preachers made a practice of visiting members of their congregation at home, the cookies were a treat that ladies could prepare quickly with ingredients that they usually already had in their pantries. A housewife could prepare them quickly when she looked out her window and saw the preacher riding up the mountain on his horse. By the time the preacher arrived, the cookies were already cooling!

Whatever you call them, we hope you use our tips to make sure your No Bake Chocolate Peanut Butter Cookies come out perfectly this Christmas! 

My final tip is to try to get some super-cute elves to help you make them or to agree to be your quality control inspectors/taste-testers. This step is not absolutely necessary, but it always seems to work for us. Enjoy!