A Merry Ol' Man is He A merry ol' man is he, The one that leaves presents under my tree. I never see him come, I never see him go, But he always seems to come here, Even in the worst of snow. I'd like to thank Dear Santa Claus And tell him that he's great. Mommy likes him most 'cause he always cleans his plate. This year when Santa comes, I'll try my best to see, If he's like I've always pictured Jolly, cute, and cuddley. Thank you Santa for all my gifts, I hope that I make next years list. -itpomh-

US & Canada	Santa Claus
China	Shengdan Laoren
England	Father Christmas
Brazil & Peru	Papa Noel
France	Pere Noel
Germany	Christind
Sweden	Jultomten
Netherland	Kerstman
Finland	Joulupukki
Dutch	Sinter Klass

Santa' s Prayer on Christmas Eve By Warren D. Jennings The sleigh was all packed, the reindeer were fed, But Santa still knelt by the side of the bed. "Dear Father,"  he prayed "Be with me tonight. There's much work to do and my schedule is tight. I must jump in my sleigh and streak through the sky, Knowing full well that a reindeer can't fly. I will visit each household before the first light, I'll cover the world and all in one night. With sleighbells a-ringing I'll land on each roof Amid the soft clatter of each little hoof. To get in the house is the difficult part, So I'll slide down the chimey of each child's heart My sack will hold toys to grant all their wishes. The supply will be endless like the loaves and the fishes. I will fill all the stockings and not leave a track. I'll eat every cookie that is left for my snack. I can do all these things Lord, only through You, I just need your blessing, then it's easy to do. All this is to honor the birth of the One, That was sent to redeem us, Your most Holy Son. So to all of my friends, least Your glory I rob, Please Lord, remind them who gave me this job."

A Visit From St. Nicholas by Clement Clarke Moore 'Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse; the stockings were hung by the chimney with care, In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there; The children were nestled all snug in their beds, While visions of sugar-plums danced in their heads; And Mamma in her 'kerchief, and I in my cap, Had just settled our brains for a long winter's nap; when out on the lawn there arose such a clatter, I sprang from the bed to see what was the matter. Away to the window I flew like a flash, Tore open the shutters and threw up the sash. The moon, on the breast of the new-fallen snow, Gave the lustre of mid-day to objects below, When, what to my wondering eyes should appear, But a miniature sleigh, and eight tiny reindeer, With a little old driver, so lively and quick, I knew in a moment it must be St. Nick. More rapid than eagles his coursers they came, And he whistled, and shouted, and called them by name; "Now, Dasher! now, Dancer! now, Prancer and Vixen! On, Comet! on, Cupid! on, Donder and Blitzen! To the top of the porch! to the top of the wall!~ Now dash away! dash away! dash away all!" As dry leaves that before the wild hurrincane fly, When they meet with an obstacle, mount to the sky; So up to the house-top the coursers they flew, With the sleigh full of Toys, and St. Nicholas too. And then, in a twinkling, I heard on the roof, The prancing and pawing of each little hoof-- As I drew in my head, and was turning around, Down the chimney St., Nicholas came with a bound. He was dressed all in fur, from his head to his foot, And his clothes were all tarnished with ashes and soot; A bundle of Toys he had flung on his back, And he look'd like a pedlar just opening his pack. His eyes--how they twinkled!his dimples, how merry! His cheeks were like roses, his nose like a cherry! His droll little mouth was drawn up like a bow, And the beard of his chin was as white as the snow; The stump of his pipe he held tight in his teeth, And the smoke it encircled his head like a wreath; He had a broad face and a little round belly, That shook, when he laughed, like a bowl full of jelly, He was chubby and plump, a right jolly old elf, And I laughed, when I saw him, in spite of myself; A wink of his eye and a twist of his head, Soon gave me to know I had nothing to dread; He spoke not a word, but went straight to his work, And fill'd all the stockings; then turned with a jerk, And laying his finger aside of his nose, And giving a nod, up the chimney he rose; He sprang to his sleigh, to his team gave a whistle, And away they all flew like the down of a thistle. But I heard him exclaim, ere he drove out of sight, "Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!"

Yes, Virginia, There is a Santa Claus Editorial Page, New York Sun, 1897 We take pleasure in answering thus prominently the communication below, expressing at the same time our great gratification that its faithful author is numbered among the friends of The Sun: 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 Virginia, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe except 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 measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge. Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as 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 external light with 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 you 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 men that ever lived could tear apart. Only faith, 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 lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

The Belsnickle Who is that knocking on my front door? Could it be, possibly be, the Belsnickle for me. Have I been good, do I deserve gifts? What does he look like, how is he dressed? Will he want me to dance, or maybe sing a song? I hope that I don't mess up, get the words wrong! The Belsknikle is here, he's at my front door. Bring out the cakes, we need food galore, This is the man that I so much adore. Please, come now, we really must hurry. Let's not keep him waiting, we must not let him scurry. Belsnickle, Belsnickle at my front door, I know I've been good this year, I know it for sure! -itpomh-