Audiobook · read by volunteers
Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus
Francis P. Church (1839–1906)
Read by Alex Rudinski, Brian Lojeck, Cori Samuel, Gesine, JemmaBlythe, Kara Shallenberg (1969-2023), Mark F. Smith, Stephanie König · 8 chapters · 32 min
About the book
In 1897 a little girl wrote to a New York newspaper. Some of her friends said there was no Santa Claus, her father told her to ask the Sun, and she wanted to know the truth. The editor, Francis P. Church, replied in an editorial that has since become one of the best loved pieces of Christmas writing in America. He told her that yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, and that the things we cannot see are often the most real. Here the famous reply is offered in eight different readings, each a little different, by volunteers. In under half an hour you can hear a short, gentle meditation on belief and wonder.
Introduction
Francis P. Church lived from 1839 to 1906. A journalist, he worked as a writer and editor for several newspapers, and served as a war correspondent during the American Civil War. In later years he worked at the New York Sun, where he wrote many editorials.
On 21 September 1897, the Sun printed an editorial under the headline "Is There a Santa Claus?". The editorial answered a letter from an eight-year-old girl named Virginia O'Hanlon, who asked whether it was true. The reply included the sentence "Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus", and it has long been part of the Christmas lore of the United States. It has been reprinted, quoted and adapted countless times in newspapers, books and films.
What gives it its enduring appeal is not only its sentiment but also its argument. Church takes the child's question seriously. He does not dismiss her doubts, and he explains that much of what is real cannot be seen or measured, and that the world would be a poor place without faith, poetry and love.
LibriVox brings you eight different versions of this classic, each read by a different volunteer. They are short, and the whole collection lasts about half an hour. Why listen? Because the piece is brief and warm, and hearing it several times is a quiet pleasure at any time of the year. It is also a reminder of the care with which a newspaper once answered a child's question.
Public domain
Francis P. Church died in 1906: the work is in the public domain in Switzerland, more than 70 years after the author’s death.
The LibriVox volunteers dedicated this recording to the public domain.
Sources : LibriVox page · Files at the Internet Archive · Original text