Is Santa Clause Real?Explain your answer?

There actually is a history behind "Santa Claus." It began with someone named St. Nicholas, who loved to give to others. Once he died, the tradition of giving presents stuck, and therefore somebody came up with the "Santa Clause" story.

St. Nicolas was a real person who lived in Turkey.

The story goes that a house had two ladies that were getting married soon, but the father couldn't pay for the weddings. These ladies were good hearted women who cared for others, often asking little for themselves. They were crushed to hear that the money was too thin and that they would have to cancel the wedding the next day. But, that night, St. Nicolas heard their crying as he was walking home and sought to fix the problem. He went to his home and grabbed three bags of gold coins. He returned to they young ladies house and dropped the sacks down the fire place. This was in the thirteenth century and is still remembered today.

The story evolved and spread and soon became known as Santa Clause, the wonderful man who lived up in the north poll who granted children's wishes if they were good, just like the young ladies.

So no, its origin was not a fantasy tale, but it has evolved into such

Personally I do NOT believe he is real, this is due to that I believe that the "evidence" to support the Santa that goes around giving presents does not follow the logic that 1 person going to every house ( and keeping a list of the entire world) would be almost impossible (keep in mind that I said almost, as this may be possible someday).

I also chose not to believe in God as well, why? Because the evidence to support God does not follow basic human logic, for example, if we were created in Gods image, why are we not asexual creatures? Although this is far from what you were asking I am just providing it as an example.

It really is a matter of opinion, do you really think its possible to go around the world giving presents in ONE day? Most people (that believes in God) would say that its impossible for Santa, but say it is possible for God.

It all comes down to the same thing, how can you prove that something DOES NOT exist?

Adults who believe in Santa Claus are delusional, and at times just downright annoying. I don't think the story of Santa is a good one to tell children because... what's the point? It didn't make Christmas any more or less of a holiday to me when I learned that people actually buy these presents for me. In fact, it gives the credit for this generosity to some imaginary man, instead of the people who actually give the gifts. Sure, the point isn't to be recognized for it, but I'd rather that my child be thankful to the people who take time out of their life to go and get him/her a gift.

Plus, it's just setting them up for a big disappointment when they learn that he isn't real. Why do that to them? Is it really worth it? I think not.

Yes I believe and here's why....

Santa Claus' history comes from a man called Nicholas who lived in a village called Patara on the Turkish coast around the third century . He was a kind man who never gave a second thought to helping others. He was devoutly religious too and he was persecuted for this by the Roman emperor Diocletian. After his release he continued preaching the words of Jesus until he died. He was buried in Italy in a place called Myra and holy water is said to have formed in his tomb.

Stories abound of him helping people after his death. One such was a young boy kidnapped by Arab pirates. The young boy was eventually reunited with his parents after his mother prayed to Saint Nicholas for divine help.

In today's world we cherish children and buy them gifts at Christmas covering both the nativity and St Nicholas. In doing so we are keeping the dream alive and who knows, maybe that was his intention that by using him as an icon we spread joy and happiness to children around the world. Subconsciously we are continuing his work. Can't fault the bearded guy for that

Merry Christmas.

There is some history behind it. There was a good man named St Nicholas and this evolved. There is no Santa Claus as he is portrayed today however. I know because my mother admitted it was her putting presents in my stocking and not santa.

hi how are you?i dont belive in santa clause becuase he is only a spirt and one night i was asleep and i saw my mom was out off bed this was christamas eve night bu anyway i went it to the computer room where alllllll the presents is and i saw my mom and grandama and my dad putting MY christmas presents in there and the tooth fairy isnt really real either because i woke up one morning and i told my mom and grandma that i had lost a tooth and anyway i went back to bed this was aroung 8:00 in the morning and at 10:00 i lookd at the clock and i went back to sleep and finaaly i heard somthing and thats when i saw my grandama giving me $20.00 and i was like ah hah so the fairy tooth isnt real they was like yes and now i dont fall for that no more!!!!

Santa Clause is based of Saint Nicholas...Someone who lived a very long time ago....So yes there is history behind this....if your a nut job who thinks that he will still be visiting you from the grave....then please seek help!

Santa is not real or imaginary, he's complex. ( Mathematically speaking.) Santa signifies something very real in side of us.

Truth becomes legend, legend becomes myth.

No i didn't mean that, its just a good line that i remembered.

MODIFY: Wow, ppl cango on and on and on about anything under the sun. Darn you , wikipedia!)

He is real, in the sense that his origins lie in that of a real person. Santa Claus is a variation of a Dutch folk tale based on the historical figure Saint Nicholas, a bishop from Myra in Asia Minor (the greater part of modern-day Turkey), who used his whole inheritance to assist the needy, the sick, and the suffering. His charity became legend when a man lost his fortune and found himself incapable of supporting his three daughters, who would not be able to find husbands as they lacked dowries. This man was going to give them over to a life of prostitution; however, St Nicholas provided them with gold, enabling them to retain their virginal virtues and marry.

Over the centuries, the legend of St. Nicholas grew into a mythical figure that travels the world in the span of a single night, bringing toys to all the good little girls and boys. It is safe to say that such a personage does not exist, as the North Pole has been thoroughly explored and there is no evidence of a workshop of any kind, let alone one capable of producing toys for five billion children.

However, is Santa Claus real? To that, I can give an emphatic "yes."

In 1897, Dr. Philip O'Hanlon, a coroner's assistant on Manhattan's Upper West Side, was faced with a minor family crisis. His eight-year-old daughter, Virginia, had begun to doubt whether there was a Santa Claus, for her friends had told her that he did not exist.

Dr. O'Hanlon told her to write to the Sun, a prominent New York newspaper at the time, assuring her the paper would tell her the truth. While he was possibly passing the buck because he could not bear to tell his daughter that Santa Claus was a myth, he unwittingly gave one of the paper's editors, Francis Pharcellus Church, an opportunity to rise above the simple question, and address the philosophical issues behind it.

Church was a war correspondent during the American Civil War, a time which saw great suffering and a corresponding lack of hope and faith in much of society. Although the paper ran the editorial in the seventh place on the editorial page, below even an editorial on the newly invented "chainless bicycle", its message struck a chord in the hearts of people who read it. More than a century later it remains the most reprinted editorial ever to run in any newspaper in the English language; the Sun itself reprinted it annually for years after its initial publication. A few have questioned the veracity of the letter's authorship, noting that a young girl such as Virginia would not refer to children her own age as "my little friends;" however, the original copy of the letter appeared and was authenticated by an appraiser on Antiques Road Show in 1997. The message contained in the response is considered as pertinent today as in 1897...

"DEAR EDITOR: I am 8 years old.

"Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.

"Papa says, 'If you see it in THE SUN it's so.'

"Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?

"VIRGINIA O'HANLON.

"115 WEST NINETY-FIFTH STREET."

VIRGINIA, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be men's or children's, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measure by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Yes, VIRGINIA, there is a Santa Claus. He exists certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy. Alas! How dreary would be the world if there were no Santa Claus! It would be as dreary as if there were no VIRGINIAS. There would be no childlike faith then, no poetry, no romance to make tolerable this existence. We should have no enjoyment, except in sense and sight. The eternal light which childhood fills the world would be extinguished.

Not believe in Santa Claus! You might as well not believe in fairies! You might get your papa to hire men to watch in all the chimneys on Christmas Eve to catch Santa Claus, but even if they did not see Santa Claus coming down, what would that prove? Nobody sees Santa Claus, but that is no sign that there is no Santa Claus. The most real things in the world are those that neither children nor men can see. Did you ever see fairies dancing on the lawn? Of course not, but that's no proof that they are not there. Nobody can conceive or imagine all the wonders there are unseen and unseeable in the world.

You tear apart the baby's rattle and see what makes the noise inside, but there is a veil covering the unseen world which not the strongest man, nor even the united strength of all the strongest man that ever lived, could tear apart. Only faith, fancy, poetry, love, romance can push aside that curtain and view and picture the supernal beauty and glory beyond. Is it all real? Ah, VIRGINIA, in all this world there is nothing else real and abiding. No Santa Claus! Thank GOD! He lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

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Every Christmas, I volunteer for a special role at the department store where my wife works. My payment comes not in the form of money, but in the smiles of happy children as their eyes light up when they see me from across the sales floor. Tell me there is no Santa Claus? I'll tell you from first-hand experience how wrong you are.

When I put on the outfit, even adults who see me every day aren't sure if it really is me. It's the magic of the suit. It just makes you WANT to believe. I've had people who saw me in uniform not minutes before pass me and not have the faintest idea who I am.

Yes, Santa Claus exists. I can say for certain.