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Feature 2 - Is there a Santa Claus?

Or how I stopped worrying and learned to love the holidays

In 1897 Virginia O Hanlon wrote on her father’s advice to the New York Sun to ask if there was a Santa Claus. The resulting editorial, "Yes Virginia there is a Santa Claus," was hugely popular with Sun readers and ran every year until the paper’s demise in 1947.

The editor of the Sun, Francis P. Church, a curmudgeonly veteran journalist of the American Civil War, came to the conclusion that there was a Santa Claus based on the notion that not only did people believe in the season of giving as St. Nick embodied but they also followed traditions and passed on folklore to such an extent that Father Christmas had taken shape in people’s minds. So much so that in effect Church said a belief that strong created its own reality.

But as they say, that was then this is now. In today’s world, with so many reasons not to believe in a Santa, is it possible that he could still exist? People may not have been as naïve in 1897 as we might believe, but there is no doubt that the Santa of over a century ago would not have to contend with The World Wildlife Fund suing him for keeping reindeer in confinement or Workers’ Compensation citing him for the poor working conditions of workshop elves. Furthermore, if Santa does still exist then how has he resisted the lure of lucrative endorsement money? To be honest, even in 1897 Santa Claus had caved to the Coca Cola company but how is it Pepsi has never been able to lure him over? If Britney Spears is worth millions then how many millions more would he be worth to Pepsi Cola?

But more important than any modern intrusions on Santa’s existence, does the sustaining belief in him exist today? Can I reassure any modern day Virginias out there that Santa is alive and well in the minds of people and still fighting the good fight against unreformed scrooges? There is really only one way to tell; go to the people and find out what they think.

I suppose in some ways Christmas spirit could be construed as a civic matter. So I set out to try and talk with the youthful and optimistic mayor of Whistler, the newly re-elected Hugh O’Reilly. He managed to take a few moments out of his busy schedule to talk with me and when asked if he believed in Santa Claus (in the bigger sense of the question that is) he responded promptly in the affirmative.

"Yes I think it is almost imperative. Religious support years ago was almost peer pressure, now we only have this time of year and maybe Easter to take time to consider our friends and family and how we act towards others."

I ask if he doesn’t think that perhaps Santa has a tougher time of it than in days gone by and perhaps his time has passed.

"No, I don’t think so. To lose this (Christmas) would be to lose an important building block in what makes a community, that is caring, giving, helping people."

But what about the commercialization of Christmas, doesn’t that take away from it?

"Well let’s face it, anytime you have something hugely popular people will, unfortunately, try to exploit it. That doesn’t necessarily take away from it. Our lifestyle (here in Whistler) could easily be targeted as overly consumptive, the luxury houses, SUVs and so forth. But the belief in positive values, the things that Christmas represents, helps balance that out."

So Mr. Mayor, I have to ask: If Santa came to your door – or more likely came down the chimney of your home – and asked if you had been good what would your answer be?

"It would be yes and I say that because I spend most of my time thinking about other people, my family, friends, the community – granted that goes with the job, but just the same it’s something I care about."

And what would you ask of him for a present?

"Well, that’s a good question. I hope to see Whistler used as a demonstration site for alternative-fuel transportation, such as natural gas or hydrogen fuel cell buses, which I think would be great fit for our community, so I would ask for that."

Linda Marshall, a wedding planner who is also involved in local theatre, is wishing for something a little more immediate than is the mayor. She would like to see some snow. Personally I don’t know if the jolly one can be held responsible for the weather but just the same, if it snows between now and press time then thanks, Santa.

I suppose this means Linda does believe in Santa?

Actually I’m finding it’s more and more a case of people wanting to believe. As Linda says, "I like to believe in my heart. Business is harder, we need a Santa, people need to pay attention to what we need to grow as a community, we need to look at the bigger picture, goodwill to others, not always thinking about ourselves."

So having said that does she feel she has been good this year?

"Definitely – I do my part, I never say no, I have community spirit."

Linda also wishes a prosperous New Year for everyone and that if there is a Santa she hopes he will deliver it.

Wow, prosperity and snow. Not asking for a lot is she? How about some advice for the chubby elf then.

"I don’t have any personally but my nephew Jacob wrote to him and warned him not to burn his butt on the way down the chimney and not to drink and drive (or sled). He’s leaving out 7Up in case he gets thirsty."

As I walk through Whistler Village and see all the lights and decorations that have gone up over the last couple of weeks it certainly feels Christmassy enough, even without snow. Yet I don’t feel blown over with a sense of Christmas spirit and buying pine-scented room spray isn’t going to do it.

In search of a little levity, since perhaps I’m taking this whole search for Santa thing a little too seriously, I call longtime local Michelle Bush (no relation to George), who calls herself a humorist and professional wing nut. Does she believe in Santa Claus I ask her straight out?

"Well as a kid we had a chimney so that helped, plus I wanted to believe, I was a big hold out."

Just how long did you hold out?

"Till about 25, you’ve got to believe in that stuff."

And now?

"Adults can believe in a different Santa Claus. I’m approaching 40 so I’m doing a lot of soul searching, that whole ‘Why are we here? Is there something bigger than us?’ thing. I think it’s always good to believe, at least to give us hope."

How about if you got a chance to meet him if he came down your chimney now?

"First of all I’d say you’ve had enough cookies mister and fix him a dry martini. Then I would ask him for a dual mountain ski pass."

To follow in the footsteps like Virginia of old I asked the editors and publishers of Whistler’s two papers (in the interest of equality) their opinion.

I talked with Bob Barnett, editor of The Pique (that’s him on page four above the editorial), and John Snelgrove, publisher of The Whistler Question. Bob, always one to stir up a hornet’s nest of controversy, answered my question on the existence of Santa Claus with the comment: "It hasn’t been proven he doesn’t exist."

But when pressed he admitted, "Oh sure there is."

Okay, what about evidence of a spirit of Santa Claus? A Christmas spirit the sort of thing Francis P. Church found evidence of 105 years ago that made him believe; why he was able to tell young Virginia that despite the suffering of immigrant children she saw on the lower Eastside of Manhattan there was still good in the world.

"Where have I seen evidence of Santa (so to speak)?" says Bob. "Well there’s the food bank, and there’s things like Chris Winter’s Zero Ceiling program, where he takes street kids from Vancouver for a day of skiing or snowboarding and offers them the opportunity to take the instructors course. Of course there’s evidence of Grinchiness around too."

But Bob didn’t care to elaborate on that.

Okay, so presuming he has been good this year, which he assures me that except for a few "off days" he has been, then what does he hope Santa will bring him?

"How about deadlines met every week, that and the key to Andre St. Jacque’s wine cellar in the Bearfoot Bistro."

Then there’s John over at the Question, who at first had his doubts about being quoted for a piece in a competing paper. But as a sign (and maybe I’m grasping here) of holiday spirit he agreed to talk with me.

John responded to the Is There a Santa Claus question decisively.

"Of course I believe. I have to, I have a nine-year-old."

But beyond that he confesses: "I’m not going to tell you that a 42-year-old believes in Santa Claus but a 42-year-old can still believe that a human can be human."

Meaning?

"Well there’s a lot of touchy-feely stuff that goes on at this time of year. I see groups like the Rotary Club, the various food banks and others doing what they can. That’s when I believe in Santa Claus, in the bigger sense, the spirit of Santa Claus. It’s a chilly time of year but there’s warm hearts out there and we all have to remember it’s not what we expect but what we give."

Well I guess even the most cynical of newspapermen (not that I’m saying John is cynical) can wax poetic at this time of year, which is encouraging.

I’ve noticed however a lot of hedging of bets, a lot of "I want to believe but…" Seems to be going around both with people I talked with and others. I can’t say I blame them, there seems to be just too many things to worry about these days for us to have faith that some guy in a red suit can make everything all right, even if it is only one day out of the year. Then again how bad did you have it in 1897 if you were down and out or even just lower middle class? Pretty bad actually, yet people still had Christmas spirit, as Frank P. Church discovered.

I thought perhaps I should try the younger generation for a little different perspective.

My niece Madison is 11 so I didn’t really expect her to tell me she believed in Santa wholeheartedly. Still I hoped for the best.

She did admit that she stopped believing in the Santa Claus that comes down the chimney at about the age of nine, and even then I think she stretched it a bit to make me feel better. She told me, "I believe in the guy Santa represents."

Yes but why?

"I guess because I want presents, plus I believe in being nice to people and helping those less fortunate, and also animals."

You mean be nice to animals?

"Of course."

She then informed me that she is exceptionally nice to animals, especially her rabbit, three gerbils, two hamsters, two frogs, a goldfish and a cat.

Okay so, hypothetically speaking, say you got to meet Santa, what would you say to him? (assuming he could get past all of the animals.)

"You mean the guy who comes down the chimney?"

Yes the one and only.

"I guess I’d ask him if he does anything for those less fortunate?"

What about the presents?

"Well yeah, but other stuff too."

What exactly? Feed the starving, house the homeless, save the whales, that sort of thing?

"Sure… what’s wrong with the whales?"

I assured Madison that the whales would be okay and that she didn’t have room in her house for one in any event.

I started this story hoping to reinforce my optimism that the Christmas spirit was still alive and well and that even adults can have a Santa Claus, because as Linda Marshall said, we need him. Maybe it’s a little presumptuous to say we need him now more than ever, but he seems like a pretty good guy to have around. And in that case I can say that even if Whistler isn’t Whoville or Norman Rockwell America, or Charles’s Dickens England either, we may have our doubts but we still do pretty well in believing.



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