AP Spotlight The truth behind Santa Claus, as seen by grown-ups: To tell or not to tell? DEEPTI HAJELA Associated Press Dec 19, 2024 Dec 19, 2024 Updated Jun 24, 2025 0 Facebook Twitter WhatsApp SMS Email Print Copy article link Save NEW YORK — Sure, it's a family story they can chuckle about NOW. But Lisa Highfill wasn't laughing that December day almost 20 years ago.kAm$96 925 ;FDE A2C<65 E96 42C :? E96 82C286 H96? 96C E96?\g\J62C\@=5 D@? =6E =@@D6 H:E9 D@>6E9:?8 96 925 7@F?5 @FE H9:=6 2E D49@@=]k^AmkAmQ|J D@? =@@<D 2E >6[ 96 8@6D[ V%96C6VD ?@ $2?E2] *@FVG6 366? =J:?8 E@ >6[VQ C642==D w:897:==[ de[ @7 !=62D2?E@?[ r2=:7@C?:2] Qw6 42F89E >6 C65\92?565[ x 5:5?VE <?@H H92E E@ D2J]Qk^AmkAm$96VD ?@E 2=@?6 :? E92E] (6=4@>6 E@ E96 9@=:52J D62D@?] xEVD E92E E:>6 @7 J62C 7:==65 H:E9 r9C:DE>2D 4966C[ AC6D6?ED[ 2?5 E96 6G6C\AC6D6?E A2C6?E2= BF6DE:@?i s@ H6 E6== E96 <:5D E96 ECFE9 23@FE $2?E2 r=2FDnk^Am People are also reading… Franklin County sheriff's deputies often make immigration arrests for ICE Manhunt ends with fatal shooting of Henry County suspect Board approves carp comeback at Smith Mountain Lake to eat invasive hydrilla Franklin County wants to raise taxes. Here's where the money would go. Lawsuit against state trooper on behalf of Franklin County girl moves forward Spanberger signs bills that tighten controls on guns Spanberger signs Virginia minimum wage increase Smith Mountain Lake State Park lecture series wraps up on Sunday Spanberger signs bills on probation, manufactured protein and Confederate license plates Franklin County chicken and bee zoning overhaul draws resident backlash Man unlawfully in US arrested in Franklin County for child sex abuse 12-year-old arrested in death of classmate who was hit in the head by a metal water bottle Trump to visit Charlottesville Friday Carter Bank sold Justice loan portfolio to Omni parent company Spanberger: A bumpy road, but a budget is on a path to her desk kAm%96C6VD ?@ 86EE:?8 2H2J 7C@> $2?E2 r=2FD[ E96 ;@==J[ 362C565 @=5 >2? H9@VD 366? 46=63C2E65 7@C E96 36EE6C A2CE @7 EH@ 46?EFC:6D 7@C 3C:?8:?8 AC6D6?ED :? 2 @?6\?:89E[ H@C=5\H:56 8:G:?8 DAC66] w6VD 366? E96 DF3;64E @7 A@6>D 2?5 DE@C:6D[ >@G:6D 2?5 D@?8D[ :?G@<65 2D E96 ;F586 @7 ?2F89EJ @C ?:46[ E96 C64:A:6?E @7 4@F?E=6DD 4@@<:6D 2?5 8=2DD6D @7 >:=< E@ DFDE2:? 9:> @? 9:D ;@FC?6J]k^AmkAm}@E 325 7@C D@>6@?6 H9@ 5@6D?VE 24EF2==J[ J@F <?@H[ 6I:DE]k^Amk9bm|2?J H2?E E@ 8:G6 E96:C <:5D >28:4k^9bm kAmu@C 2 =@E @7 A2C6?ED 2?5 @E96C 25F=ED[ A6CA6EF2E:?8 E92E $2?E2 r=2FD :D C62= :D 2 492?46 E@ 8:G6 J@F?8 49:=5C6? 2 3:E @7 9@=:52J >28:4[ 2 3C:67[ AC64:@FD E:>6 367@C6 E96 C62=:E:6D @7 =:76 DH66A E96 :==FD:@?D 2H2J] ~E96CD[ E9@F89[ 2C6 >@C6 D<6AE:42=[ C2:D:?8 4@?46C?D 23@FE D@>6 @7 E96 >6DD28:?8 :? $2?E2VD DE@CJ[ DF49 2D E96 4@?DE2?E DFCG6:==2?46 @G6C 3692G:@C[ 2?5 :? 2? 6C2 H96C6 H6VC6 2== H@CC:65 23@FE 5:D:?7@C>2E:@?[ >:D:?7@C>2E:@? 2?5 A2C6?ED =J:?8 E@ 49:=5C6?]k^Am kAmu@C s2G:5 zJ=6 y@9?D@?[ 2 AC@76DD@C @7 A9:=@D@A9J 2E z:?8VD r@==686 :? (:=<6D\q2CC6[ !6??DJ=G2?:2[ E96 4@?46C? :D E96 =6?8E9D D@>6 A2C6?ED E2<6 E@ 6<6 @FE E96 =2DE 3:ED @7 36=:67 7C@> E96:C <:5D[ DF49 2D 56?J:?8 E96:C 52H?:?8 DFDA:4:@?D 2D E96J 86E @=56C @G6C 9@H $2?E2 r=2FD 4@F=5 =@8:42==J 5@ H92E 96VD DFAA@D65 E@]k^Am kAmQ*629[ :EVD $2?E2[ :EVD 7F? @C H92E6G6C] qFE J@FVC6 E6249:?8 E96> =6DD@?D 23@FE 9@H E@ E9:?< 2?5 9@H E@ 6G2=F2E6 6G:56?46[ C:89En[Q y@9?D@? D2JD] Qp?5 9@H >2?J A6@A=6 8C@H FA E96? 2D 25F=ED H9@ 36=:6G6 E9:?8D ;FDE 3642FD6 E96J H2?E E@ 36=:6G6 E9:?8D[ 3642FD6 :E 766=D 8@@5 — 36=:6G6 E9:?8D 3642FD6 :E 4@?7:C>D E96 H@C=5 G:6H E92E >2<6D E96> 766= 8@@5[ C:89EnQk^AmkAmu@C %2C2 q@J46[ :EVD 23@FE 36:?8 724EF2= 2?5 ECFE97F= H:E9 96C EH@ D@?D[ e 2?5 f[ E92E D96VD 2=H2JD 366? $2?E2[ 2?5 E92E r9C:DE>2D 5@6D?VE ?665 9:> E@ 36 >28:42=] pE E96 D2>6 E:>6[ D96 E@=5 E96> E92E A6@A=6 :? @E96C 9@>6D 5@ E9:?8D 5:776C6?E=J[ D@ :EVD ?@E @? 96C 3@JD E@ ECJ E@ 5:D:==FD:@? E96:C 7C:6?5D]k^Am kAmw6C D@?D Q=@G6 r9C:DE>2D] %96J =@G6 E96 =:89ED] %96J =@G6 E96 >@G:6D] %96J =@G6 E96 >FD:4] %96J =@G6 E96 42CE@@?D] %96J =@G6 2== E96 EC2AA:?8D[Q D2JD q@J46[ ce[ @7 {:G6C>@C6[ r2=:7@C?:2]k^AmkAmQ%96J 42?VE >:DD H92E E96J ?6G6C 925[ H9:49 :D =:<6 E96 >JDE6CJ @7 $2?E2[ 3FE E96J 2AAC64:2E6 2== E96 @E96C E9:?8D]Qk^Amk9bm%96 >@56C? V$2?E2V C64:A6k^9bm kAmp? p>6C:42? 4C62E:@? 2>2=82>2E65 7C@> 2 G2C:6EJ @7 tFC@A62? 4F=EFC6D 2?5 :>>:8C2?E 4@>>F?:E:6D[ $2?E2 r=2FD 6>6C865 :? E96 `hE9 46?EFCJ 2?5 H2D 7:C>=J 6?EC6?4965 :? p>6C:42? 4F=EFC6 3J E96 62C=J A2CE @7 E96 a_E9 46?EFCJ]k^Am kAmw6VD F?:BF6 2>@?8 >256\FA 492C24E6CD =:<6 E96 %@@E9 u2:CJ 2?5 E96 t2DE6C qF??J 3642FD6 2 H9@=6 DE@CJ[ 2 H@C=5[ 92D 366? 56G6=@A65 2C@F?5 9:> @G6C E96 564256D[ D2JD %9@>2D #FJD $>:E9[ AC@76DD@C @7 p>6C:42? =:E6C2EFC6 2?5 4F=EFC6 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 t2DE p?8=:2 :? E96 &?:E65 z:?85@>]k^AmkAmQ(96C6 5@6D 96 =:G6n xD 96 >2CC:65n (9@ >2<6D 9:D E@JDn (6 4@F=5 2== 8:G6 J@F 2?DH6CD E@ E9@D6 BF6DE:@?D 32D65 @? A:646D @7 A@AF=2C 4F=EFC6[Q 96 D2JD] Q(6 766= H6 <?@H $2?E2 r=2FD]Qk^AmkAm%96C6VD ?@ 6>A:C:42= 6G:56?46 E92E D9@HD 567:?:E:G6 92C> @C 8@@5 4@>:?8 E@ 49:=5C6? @G6C 2 36=:67 :? $2?E2 r=2FD] r2?5:46 |:==D[ 2 AC@76DD@C @7 ADJ49@=@8J 2E E96 &?:G6CD:EJ @7 %6I2D 2E s2==2D H9@ 92D 5@?6 2 C6D62C49 DEF5J :?E@ 9@H 49:=5C6? 76=E 23@FE =62C?:?8 $2?E2 :D?VE C62=[ 7@F?5 E92E 7@C >@DE <:5D :? E96 DEF5J[ ?682E:G6 766=:?8D @G6C 5:D4@G6C:?8 E96 ECFE9 H6C6 FDF2==J D9@CE\=:G65]k^Am kAmQ%96J =@@< 7@CH2C5 E@ ?6H EC25:E:@?D] %96J 86E E@ 46=63C2E6 H:E9 E96:C D:3=:?8D] %96J 86E E@ DE:== 6?;@J 86EE:?8 AC6D6?ED 7C@> $2?E2 r=2FD[ 6G6? E9@F89 E96J <?@H :EVD ?@E C62=[Q D96 D2JD]k^Am kAmp?5 H96? E2=<:?8 E@ A2C6?ED[ |:==DV C6D62C49 7@F?5 E92E >2?J @7 E9@D6 A=2??65 E@ @C :?4@CA@C2E65 2 $2?E2 EC25:E:@? 7@C E96:C <:5D 6G6? 2D E96J C642==65 36:?8 FAD6E 2E =62C?:?8 E96 ECFE9 2D 49:=5C6? E96>D6=G6D]k^AmkAmxE H2D EC25:E:@? E92E 925 w:897:== 2?5 96C 9FD32?5 3C:?8:?8 $2?E2 r=2FD :?E@ E96:C r9C:DE>2D 46=63C2E:@?D H:E9 E96:C D@?D E@ 368:? H:E9[ 649@:?8 2D A2C6?ED H92E E96:C A2C6?ED 925 5@?6 7@C E96>]k^Am kAm$96 925?VE E9@F89E 23@FE 9@H :E H@F=5 4@?7=:4E H:E9 E96 A2C6?E:?8 =6DD@?D E96J H6C6 ECJ:?8 E@ :>A2CE E@ E96 3@JD[ E92E E6==:?8 E96 ECFE9 H2D A2C2>@F?E] %9@D6 H6C6 =6DD@?D E96 3@JD 925 E2<6? E@ 962CE[ 2D E96 FAD6E :? E96 42C >256 4=62C[ D96 C642==D H:E9 2 =2F89]k^AmkAmQx 8@ :?D:56[ 96 H@?VE 4@>6 @FE @7 E96 42C] … w6VD :? E96C6 D4C62>:?8 2?5 4CJ:?8] w6VD G6CJ FAD6E] xVG6 5646:G65 9:>] w:D =:76 :D 2 =:6] 1w@H 4@F=5 J@F 92G6 5@?6 E9:DnVQk^AmkAmxE H2D 2 3:8 >@>6?E[ 3FE :E 5:5?VE 56DEC@J 96C D@?VD 6?;@J>6?E @7 E96 9@=:52J :? E96 J62CD 27E6CH2C5] x7 2?JE9:?8[ w:897:== D2JD[ :E 3642>6 2 DA64:2= E9:?8 96 D92C65 H:E9 9:D A2C6?ED[ 6DA64:2==J H96? :E 42>6 E@ <66A:?8 9:D J@F?86C 3C@E96C 7C@> 7:?5:?8 @FE]k^Am kAmQw6 H2?E65 E@ <66A :E 7C@> 9:D 3C@E96C[ H9:49 H2D <:?5 @7 7F??J[Q w:897:== D2JD] Qw6VD =:<6 … H6 5@?VE H2?E E@ DA@:= :E 7@C 9:> 3642FD6 96VD C62==J :?E@ :E] w6VD 2 e\J62C\@=5]Qk^Am 0 comments Be the first to know Get local news delivered to your inbox! Sign up! * I understand and agree that registration on or use of this site constitutes agreement to its user agreement and privacy policy. Related to this story The best Christmas movies for every mood 'Tis the season for spirited and winless debates about what the best Christmas movie is. Watch Now: Related Video Unable to play video AP Top Stories April 13 AP top stories April 12 AP top stories April 12 AP top stories April 10 AP top stories April 10 A1 Minute! April 10, 2026: Week in Virginia A1 Minute! April 10, 2026: Week in Virginia
The best Christmas movies for every mood 'Tis the season for spirited and winless debates about what the best Christmas movie is.
