| Among the pieces of writing that made a splash in the eighteen-nineties, there was “Dracula,” “Heart of Darkness”—and a letter penned by an eight-year-old girl. In September of 1897, the acting editor of the New York Sun received a short missive from Virginia O’Hanlon, a grade-school student and a resident of the Upper West Side. O’Hanlon had a pressing question: “Please tell me the truth, is there a SANTA CLAUS?” The letter, and the response, caused a sensation. As James Thurber reported in The New Yorker, nearly forty years later, O’Hanlon’s note would be republished by other newspapers hundreds of times, in twenty languages. A dictionary added excerpts of the letter to its definition of Santa Claus, and Henry Ford carried a copy in his wallet. As for the newspaper’s answer, produced by an uppish editor named—appropriately for the season—Mr. Church, people still quote a memorable line from it today, though they aren’t always aware of the source. In the waning days of 2024, it remains easy to see the letter’s charm. And, whatever your personal beliefs about Santa, we wish you a peaceful holiday. | 
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