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Is Santa Claus real?

Here's the definitive answer for parents and children everywhere

Photo by Andrew Burton/Getty Images

Some of the most popular questions in history include inquisitive thoughts such as “What’s the meaning of life?” and “To be or not to be?” but one question might be even more popular than those philosophical generalizations.

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I’m talking about the ultimate question that overtakes the minds of 8-year-olds everywhere. You know the one: “Is Santa Claus real?”

Most children see Christmas as a day for getting toys and other gifts. As adults, Christmas takes on a new meaning, representing the importance of love and happiness. From tangible things to intangible things, Christmas encompasses a season of joy no matter one’s age.

So, it’s no mistake that the man we view as a jolly spirit embodies what Christmas means for both children and adults. For children, he is the gift-giver of joy; for adults, he represents the joy of gift-giving.

The story of Santa Claus has been told for decades through research, stories, Christmas specials, our parents, and our grandparents. He is Saint Nick, but is he — as we know him today — actually real?

As a child, I personally experienced two moments where Santa was more than just talked about. The first time was when I spotted Rudolph’s bright red nose on a dark Christmas Eve night. He was flying through the sky at the precise location the local radio station said he would be; they were tracking Santa’s whereabouts.

Then, a couple of years later on another Christmas Eve, Santa arrived through my front door (not everyone has a fireplace for Saint Nick to slide down). My brother and I hid in the bathroom because we should have been asleep, but thanks to my quick-thinking mother, we were quietly hiding. My grandfather greeted Santa at the door, saying loudly, “Hey, Santa!”

A jolly “Ho! Ho! Ho!” was heard in return. My brother and I peeked under the bathroom door and spotted Santa’s black boots walking toward the living room with my grandfather’s in toe. In that scenario, no kid would have ever doubted Santa Claus was real.


Now, as an adult, I realize that the single most genuine emotion anyone can witness is the utter joy on a child’s face when Santa Claus leaves them a gift. If you want to know if Santa Claus is real, a 5-year-old on Christmas morning might help you decide.

Because Santa Claus is not a typical man, it makes us believe such a man can’t possibly exist. Santa Claus is a man of a certain magic. He’s not exactly Harry Potter or Harry Houdini, but he is certainly unique — a definite one-of-a-kind.

That Christmas magic helps him deliver gifts to millions of children around the world in one night, go up and down chimneys, and make his reindeer fly. Yet the real magic is the joy he gives, and not just to children. Adults experience that joy, too. It inspires them to be more like children, and — especially around Christmas — to be more like Santa Claus.

Is that real magic? Of course. Love and joy are the realest magic possible and that’s what Santa Claus truly offers. Perhaps that creates the only dilemma to the question of whether or not he exists — he is so unlike any of us that he is something other than us. After all, how many of us can impact the world in such a joyous way? Santa Claus can.

Is he real? Actually, he is more than real, and he is an example of what everyone else should represent. He is someone who spreads joy, makes people smile, and sometimes reserves his usual grand entrance to humbly use the front door.

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