During the holiday season, Christmas takes center stage as children get excited about receiving gifts from Santa Clause. And if you think children are the only ones that believe in Santa, think again! According to interesting findings from Public Policy Polling, close to half of American adults believe in Santa Clause. And while the poll found that 43 percent of Americans believe in Santa, this statistic was lower than last year's believers, as a whopping 52 percent admitted to believing in St. Nick! What's more, between genders, the poll found that 51 percent of believers are women and 54 percent are Latino.
So is Santa real? Well, historically, yes. Santa Clause, also known as St. Nicholas, lived in 280 A.D. and was a young bishop that earned a noble reputation for leaving food and presents for children who were suffering and impovershed. And from this individual, the image and depiction of Santa Clause evolved to be what we know today. But from a scientific and literal standpoint, the answer is no. Sorry to the supposed 43 percent of American adults that believe Santa is real -- but it is scientifically impossible for one man to drop gifts (which nobody reports receiving) in the homes of children around the world with nothing but a sleigh and reindeer.
That said, one can argue that the spirit of Santa Clause lies not in the reality of Santa Clause himself, but in the act of generosity and what he represents. And in that sense, if the original acts of St. Nicholas are being carried out today, then the spirit of St. Nick is, in fact, alive. Recently, headlines have been questioning whether the race of Santa Clause is important, after Fox News' Megyn Kelly stated that Santa is white and a teacher in New Mexico told an African American student to take off his hat since Santa was white.
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