Today, Christmas Eve, we continue our tradition of republishing a 19th century New York editorial writer’s passionate defense of Santa Claus. The journalist Francis P. Church, a native of Rochester, ...

Santa Claus reads letters from children. Photo courtesy of Mary Claus WILKES-BARRE — The holiday season is upon us, and there are so many traditions observed by families that make this time of year ...

One of this nation’s most enduring Christmas tales is the reply by Francis P. Church, editorial writer for the New York Sun, to a letter from little Virginia O’Hanlon of Manhattan, asking if there was ...

Editor’s note: The following editorial, written by Francis P. Church, first appeared in The New York Sun in 1897. It was an immediate sensation and became one of the most famous editorials ever ...

Editor’s note: In a returning Christmas Eve tradition, the Daily Journal presents the famous newspaper piece, “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.” It was written in 1897 by Francis P. Church, the ...