Virginia O'Hanlon was little girl living in New York city in 1897 who was discouraged by her friends telling her there was no Santa Claus. She wrote the New York Sun after encouragement from her father, asking if this was true. Virginia O'Hanlon received the famous "Yes, Virginia" response written to her by Francis Church a war correspondent for the newspaper The New York Sun.
After that Virginia O'Hanlon grew up and became a school teacher.
I think this song is about the lies that adults tell children to make the world not seem so monsterous.
I think the fact that Francis Church, was a war correspondent, is very interesting due to the many war references in the song. It seems that Francis Church told Virginia O'Hanlon about the existence of Santa clause, but left out all the truths about war, and destruction.
@0niongirl Thank you for introducing me to this story. I agree that it's about the lies we tell to children, not only to make the world a nicer place for them, but also because it comforts ourselves. In the letter you can see, that the war correspondant felt deeply the need of the nicer world himself, in the letter he was dealing with his own fear and misery. I think the song (as it refers to "Ms.") is based on a fact that little Virginia lived until 1971 and therefore lived through all the horrors of 20. century and the...
@0niongirl Thank you for introducing me to this story. I agree that it's about the lies we tell to children, not only to make the world a nicer place for them, but also because it comforts ourselves. In the letter you can see, that the war correspondant felt deeply the need of the nicer world himself, in the letter he was dealing with his own fear and misery. I think the song (as it refers to "Ms.") is based on a fact that little Virginia lived until 1971 and therefore lived through all the horrors of 20. century and the song tries to imagine similar deceiving, but hopeful and comforting conversations about them.
Virginia O'Hanlon was little girl living in New York city in 1897 who was discouraged by her friends telling her there was no Santa Claus. She wrote the New York Sun after encouragement from her father, asking if this was true. Virginia O'Hanlon received the famous "Yes, Virginia" response written to her by Francis Church a war correspondent for the newspaper The New York Sun.
After that Virginia O'Hanlon grew up and became a school teacher.
I think this song is about the lies that adults tell children to make the world not seem so monsterous.
I think the fact that Francis Church, was a war correspondent, is very interesting due to the many war references in the song. It seems that Francis Church told Virginia O'Hanlon about the existence of Santa clause, but left out all the truths about war, and destruction.
@0niongirl Thank you for introducing me to this story. I agree that it's about the lies we tell to children, not only to make the world a nicer place for them, but also because it comforts ourselves. In the letter you can see, that the war correspondant felt deeply the need of the nicer world himself, in the letter he was dealing with his own fear and misery. I think the song (as it refers to "Ms.") is based on a fact that little Virginia lived until 1971 and therefore lived through all the horrors of 20. century and the...
@0niongirl Thank you for introducing me to this story. I agree that it's about the lies we tell to children, not only to make the world a nicer place for them, but also because it comforts ourselves. In the letter you can see, that the war correspondant felt deeply the need of the nicer world himself, in the letter he was dealing with his own fear and misery. I think the song (as it refers to "Ms.") is based on a fact that little Virginia lived until 1971 and therefore lived through all the horrors of 20. century and the song tries to imagine similar deceiving, but hopeful and comforting conversations about them.