Santa Claus is good or bad for children

In my post on eight fascinating facts about Christmas in China, number six was a trend that has long puzzled me: Chinese depictions of Santa Claus, of which there are a great many, very often portray him as playing the saxophone. There are posters of

“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 W. 95th Street. The editorial printed

In my post on eight fascinating facts about Christmas in China, number six was a trend that has long puzzled me: Chinese depictions of Santa Claus, of which there are a great many, very often portray him as playing the saxophone. There are posters of

A man dressed as Santa Claus gets a parking ticket in Los Angeles.

Thank you, Dante Chinni, for validating my beliefs about Santa Claus [“Instead of leaving cookies, let's give Santa the boot,” Outlook, Dec. 23]. I raised four children, all adults now, without foisting on them a belief in Santa Claus, Saint Nicholas