Of course Santa is real. As everyone ages, their perception of Santa changes. He starts out being believed as a flesh and blood elf who merrily enters our homes and gives us presents, but as we grow older and wiser, we realize he's more so a seasonal expression of hope. He represents the kindness and generosity in us all, the very spirit, and the one true meaning of Christmas, in a nutshell.

His history is long and complex, and starts off very much a Catholic one, as Saint Nicholas, famous for gift giving and the very reason we give each other gifts on such occasions as Christmas. He dressed in long red robes, a red hat and had a long white beard. So, in fact, Santa as we know him today is very much a symbol of the Christian Faith.

Then, his ever evolving image became more so the jolly elf we know today thanks to editorials like the famous "Is there a Santa Claus?" letter by little Virgina O'Hanlen answered in the New York Post, the famous poem "The night before Christmas" by Clement Clark Moore, and the iconic image of the modern Santa we all know and love drinking an ice cold bottle of Coca-Cola.

To call Santa anything but a symbol of Christianity, of hope, of generosity and the Christmas Spirit is something only a true Scrooge would do (then again, thanks to "A Christmas Carol", we all know even his heart can be warmed with a little spiritual guidance ).