European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 25, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tuesday wednesday december 25 26, 1990 the stars and stripes pages magic North Chatham . Up in 1s97. 8-Yearold Virginia o Hanlon became worried when her friends told her there Vas no Santa Claus. Her father advised her to write to the new York Sun to find out the truth and the reply by Francis a. Church became a classic. The letter followed Virginia of Limion Douglas throughout her teaching career in the new York City school system and her retirement in North Chatham Columbia county. Virginia wrote to the Sun a dear editor a i am 8years  some of my Little friends say there is no Santa Claus. A papa says a i you see it in the Sun it �?~sso.1. A please Tell me the truth is there a Santa Claus a Virginia o Hanlon it �?o115 West 95th St a Church s reply published in the Sun on sept 21, 1877, was. A Virginia your Little friends Are wrong they have been a affected by the scepticism of a sceptical 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. Menus or children a arc 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. A 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 tour life its highest Beauty and Joy. Alas How dreary would be the world if Iber 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 their existence. C should have no enjoyment except in sense and sight. The eternal sight with which childhood fills the world would be extinguished. A not believe in Santa Claus you might As Well not believe in fairies you might get your papa to hire men to wac i in All the chimneys on Christmas eve to catch Santa Claus but even if they did not Sec Santa Claus coming Down what would that prove nobody sees Santa Claus but that is no sign that the re is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world Are a 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 Jean conceive or imaging All the wonders there Are unseen and use table in the world. A you fear apart the baby s rattle and see what makes the noise inside but there is a veil covering the unseen world and not the strongest Man not even the United strength of All the strongest men that Ever lived could push aside that curtain and View and Pic Ture the supernatural Beauty and glory beyond. Is it All real a Virginia in All this world there is nothing else real and abiding. A no Santa Claus thank god he lives and he lives forever a thousand years from now Virginia  Fen times ten thousand years from now he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood. A Virginia of Hanlon Douglas concerned that belief in Santa Claus and fairies is Issei trial to a Happy child Hinl. Wrote a second letter published by g russet and Dunlap in a Small Book dated sept. 21, 1737. Douglas died May 13, 1771, at the age of is in North Chatham. Douglas wrote �?~7s there a Santa Claus a dear children of yesterday and today when that question was asked. 1. A Little girl was interested in finding out the answer just for myself. Now grown up and a teacher 1 want so much that All Little children believe there really is a Santa Claus. Tor 1 under stand How essential a belief in Santa. Claus and in fairies Loo is to a Happy chit Hwd. A some Little cd Tildren doubt that Santa still lives because often their letters for one reason or another never seem to reach him. A nurses in hospitals know who some of these children Are. Teachers in great City be Hills will know of hers a dear children of yesterday wont you Fry to seek out these trusting children of today and make sure that their letters in some  May reach san a Claus so Shaf he Wilt continue flt it make glad the heart of childhood. A that 1 think is the Best Way of proving there is a Santa Claus both for ourselves and for the children. A cd you remember How Peter pan once asked us to show two belief in fairies you will of course do it a Little differently but you will each understand How. So like Peter i say a show you believe please show you do and 1 shall always be gratefully yours a  i Art ton Douglas a Christmas need t bring out new York a when the materialistic Side of Christmas rears its ugly head child psychologists admit it often has a child a face. Never mind visions of sugar plums. For Many children the Only things dancing in their Heads a with All the Resolution of a Nintendo or Turbo Grafx-16 Home video game a Are dreams of teenage mutant ninja turtles Batman and go go my walking Pup. Experts on child development Call it a natural process for youngsters to want things. At around age 2, they say the average child says a mine Quot about everything in View. Its Only Over time that they develop a sense of what is theirs and what belongs to others. / a to learn How to give they  to learn what it feels like to be recipients a of love or gifts or whatever so you could consider it a developmental process a said Caroline Persell head of the sociology department at new York University. A but done to most children think a tis better to receive than to give a i think kids from a very Young age Are capable of being totally selfish Quot said Martin Hoffman head of the Nyu psychology department. A but they Are also capable of being quite empathic and sympathetic toward others who do not have what they  y the problem Hoffman said is not that children Are inherently selfish but that Christmas thrusts them into a context that surrounds them with All sorts of neat things they would like to have. And they usually respond with according materialism even greed. But change the context and the same child might offer a pleasant Surprise. A most kids As greedy and self oriented As they appear when they go to visit Santa in the department stores and sit on his Lap and ask for everything under the Sun if put into the position of knowing that there Are other children who have nothing a and if there Are adults around who make the suggestion that they might want to share some of their things most kids would share a lot a Hoffman said. Season Newark Ohio  an offbeat couple defied Yule tide tradition a and. Gravity a by hanging their scotch Pine ornaments lights and even gift wrapped boxes from the ceiling to create a tops Turvy Christmas. Jim and Judy Young knew the idea was different when a tree lot worker shot them funny looks after they asked him to lift a tree by its trunk so they could see How it looked upside Down. A a then the boy looked at me and said a do you drink much a a Jim Young recounted i i gave him my address. \ told him to come up to look at it after we got it  the Needles of the 6-foot Pine Point toward the floor. A twinkling Star dangles from us inverted Apex. Lights and ornaments Are attached so their Bottoms Point toward the base of the tree As they would if the tree were right Side up. Only Limp Silver tinsel icicles appear to obey the Law of Gravity. A a can to seem to get them to go the other Way Quot Young sighed. ? to Complete the project the Youngs glued brightly wrapped empty gift boxes to the ceiling around the base of the tree. A it  be a tree without the presents a he said. Hoho to boy John Pyrsok uses skills gleaned As a window Washer to spread some Holiday cheer in Philadelphia he a about to Rappel Down the East Tower of the 36-Story Center Square building to Greet occupants along the Way. In the background is City Hall topped by a statue of Pennsylvania founder William Penn