I know Christmas is a holiday grounded in religion, but I think its influence spreads even further than a church ritual.  I like Christmastime, not so much for the presents, but for the spirit it spreads throughout humanity.  It’s a hopeful time when I think of all the good that can come if we try to love each other.

My students have been working on 21^st century skills in English class.  Today we practiced with “text message lingo” by writing notes to each other using these abbreviated words and acronyms. 

I would like to share with you one of my favorite “letters” about Christmas.  It’s called “Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa.”  It was written in 1897 by an 8-year-old girl named Virginia.  The New York Sun newspaper  printed it and the editor replied with what’s become one of the most published editorials of all time.

I’ve modernized this version.  See if you can decipher the text “code;” it’s like a riddle.  If you can’t figure it out, move your mouse over the word and the English version will pop up.  Have fun and enjoy this season of giving, reflection, and joy.

-Mrs. B

dEr of:

Im 8 yrs old. sum of my lil F? sA there’s no *<|:o)> Claus. Papa sEz, ‘If UC it n d SUN it’s so.’ plz tel me d truth; S der a *<|:o)> Claus?

Virginia O’Hanlon

 115 West Ninety-Fifth st

Virginia,

yr lil F? r rong. they’ve bn afectd by d skepticism of a skeptical age. dey dnt bleev Xcpt [what] dey C. dey tnk dat Ø cn B wich aint comprehensible by their lil minds. ll minds, Virginia, whether dey B men’s or children’s, r lil. n dis gr8 univers of ours man S a mere insect, an ant, n hs intellect, as compared W d boundless wrld bout him, as measurd by d inteligenc kapbL of grasping d hol of truth n nolage.

Yes, Virginia, there’s a *<|:o)> Claus. He exists as certainly as lov n generosity n devotion Xist, +U knw dat dey abound n giv 2 yr lyf its hyest beauty n joy. Alas! hw dreary wd B d wrld f der wr no *<|:o)> Claus. It wd B as dreary asif der wr no Virginias. der wd B no childlike faith thN, no poetry, no romnce 2 mke tolerable dis XistenC. We shudve no njoyment, Xcpt n senZ n syt. d eternal lyt W wich childhood fills d wrld wd B xtinguishD.

nt bleev n *<|:o)> Claus! u myt as wel nt bleev n fairies! u myt gt yr papa 2 hire men 2 woch n ll d chimneys on xmas Eve 2 ctch *<|:o)> Claus, bt evn f dey ddnt C *<:-)> cmng dwn, w@ wd dat proove? nobdy sEz *<|:o)> Claus, bt dats no cYn dat there’s no *<|:o)> Claus. d most real fings n d wrld r doze dat neither kids nor men cn C. DdU evr C fairies danciN on d lawn? Of corZ nt, bt dats no proof dat thyre nt der. nobdy cn conceive or imagiN ll d 1ders der r unseen n unseeable n d wrld.

u may tear apart d baby’s rattle n C w@ maks d noyZ NcyD, bt there’s a veil covering d unseen wrld wich nt d strongst man, nor evn d united str of ll d strongst men dat evr livD, cUd tear apart. 1ly faith, fanC, poetry, lov, romnce, cn push aside dat curtain n vu n pic d supernal beauty n glory Byond. S it ll real? Ah, Virginia, n ll dis wrld there’s Ø Ls real n abiding.

No *<|:o)> Claus! Thank God! He lyfs, &he lyfs 4ever. A K yrs frm now, Virginia, nay, 10 x10 K yrs frm now, he wl contu 2 mke glad d hart of childhood.

 

Resources:

Read more about the story here: http://www.macysbelieve.com/?gclid=CPb2yu_HypcCFSYMDQodARnSTA#/YesVirginia

Learn to translate text yourself: www.lingo2word.com