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In 1897, a cute little girl, Virginia O'Hanlon - age eight - wrote to the New York Sun, a now defunct newspaper owned by two men who were sons of a Baptist minister. Needless to say, newspaper publishers made more of a religious impact back then than the NY Times - the Atheists Bible - does today. Virginia simply asked the NY Sun's editors to tell her if there was "really a Santa Claus?"

The Sun's answer is not bad, but mine, I think, is better:

Dear Jenny, I know that you have been wondering whether there is a Santa Claus or not. Well, Jen, because I love you, I'm going to tell you the truth. A long, long time ago there was a real man named Nicholas, or Nick for short, who was a very giving man, and who helped people who were in trouble. No, he didn't have a sled pulled by reindeer, and he did not live at the North Pole.

Nick was not able to deliver toys and other presents to all the girls and boys in the world on Christmas Eve, because he was just a man like your dad, or granddad . There was something, though, very special bout old Saint Nick; He believed in the miracle of the birth of a baby named Jesus. It must have been a miracle for Jesus to be born, because there were evil men and women back then, just like today, who wanted to kill babies before and even after they were born, because they did not like God.

Now I know, Jenny, a lot of your friends, and some big people too, have been telling you that there is a Santa, and telling you that Jesus was not so important, and that Christmas is all about getting those gifts under the tree.

You see, Jenny, a lot of grown-ups like to pretend about things, and they want their kids to pretend, too. But Jenny, the truth will be more useful to you, now, and when you grow up. You really don't want to grow up to be a liberal, do you?

Christmas is not supposed to be so much about Santa, but about a baby born 2000 years ago who promised that he would "bring peace on earth - to men of good will," so the Bible literally says. The men who do not have good will, will not inherit this peace - as you can clearly see in the mainstream media. I'll instruct you later, Jenny, about the evil mainstream media, because you have been taught quite the opposite in your public school.

We'll still have a picture of Santa, maybe, on the front door, riding his sled loaded with presents, with reindeer in front. And we'll still have fun decorating the tree, wrapping the gifts , and singing those songs you like about Christmas.

But instead of thinking so much about Santa, let's think about Christmas as the birthday of that baby boy I told you about - its much better than pretend.

Below was the New York Sun's original answer printed in 1897:

"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."115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET, NY, NY.

"VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] 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, in 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 VIRGINIAS. 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 in 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 men 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 lives 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.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!!