By Jonathan A. Ward

When I was 8, I got into a fight over Santa Claus. Some ignoramuses in my neighborhood claimed that there was no Santa. I defended my generous benefactor —Santa. I was justifiably upset. 

Later that day, my parents sat me down, telling me that those boys were right, and Santa Claus didn’t really exist. Up to that point, I had trusted my parents. How could they have been so thoroughly brainwashed? How could anyone deny Santa when there was so much evidence in plain sight — including my shiny, brand-new bike? A major conspiracy was afoot.   

So, I launched a fact-finding research project. I studied history and literature. I interviewed children and elves. I put out cookies and milk. I easily found evidence of the original Santa; he was a Greek bishop named St. Nicholas who lived in the 4th century A.D. He became famous for his generosity. St. Nick’s relics (aka bones) are in the St. Nicholas Cathedral in Venice, Italy. He sounds real to me! St. Nick is the patron saint of children, archers, sailors, and pawnbrokers – so he’s kept busy for sure.

As Europe became Christianized, a pagan “Yule” festival was incorporated into the late December holy day festivities. The Dutch legendary “Sinterklaus” was anglicized into “Santa Claus.” The Santa saga grew as poems and stories further defined and popularized our wonderful benefactor. Europeans happily brought their belief in Santa Claus to America, where his popularity continued to grow. 

Over time the monikers Santa Claus, Father Christmas, and Kris Kringle all became synonymous with our Santa. He’s the embodiment of partying, generosity, and pure joy. Here’s someone we can all get behind or at least sit on his lap! According to legend, he lives at the North Pole where he and his elves make toys. He has a herd of flying reindeer who whisk him around the world on Christmas Eve, delivering gifts to good kids. With such wild rumors, no wonder some people question his existence. 

However on Christmas Eve one should note that NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command) follows Santa’s actual route by radar. Unreal?! Every year Santa Claus receives an estimated 1,220,000 letters from 126 countries. Unreal?! The more I researched, the more solid proof I compiled. And beyond that, there’s the magic of charity, generosity, and goodwill expressed at Christmastime. Unreal?! So what if Santa Claus needs our help to complete his mission? With such an overwhelming stack of evidence, I humbly concluded that I was right all along, and I will continue to believe.