Who is Santa Claus?

Santa Claus, aka St. Nick, aka St. Nicholaus, aka the Jolly Old Elf, is about as well-known as characters come. He is more popular than most heads of states, more respected than many loyal friends, and more trusted than many parents. He is, afterall, the center of virtually every Christmas story told to children across the world.
Which brings up the ultimate question which eventually preys on the minds of every child and even adult who has heard countless stories of this more-than-famous individual: Is Santa Claus real or is he just a figment of someone's imagination that has been passed down from generation to generation?
The answer is a resounding YES. It is the same answer that Virgina received in the famous "Yes, Virgina, there is a Santa Claus" article. Santa Claus lives in the hearts and minds of every child in the world. You see, imagination is one of the most powerful and necessary tools needed to grow up. Without imagination, we cannot sail the oceans to places "Where the Wild Things Are," we cannot climb a mountain to have a snowball fight with our friends, we cannot join the circus and be a funny clown, and we cannot fly through the air on Christmas Eve with Santa on his sleigh. Imagination makes things real in our hearts and in our minds. Without it, we become ordinary. With it, and we become anything we want.
So, yes, Santa Claus is real in my mind and in my heart. His appearance is basically the same in every person's mind - a tad overweight, white hair and beard, a furry red suit from top to bottom and a look that only a favorite uncle or grandfather has for his special loved ones. His origin is not known. He has always existed and always will. While that is hard to explain, that is where imagination takes over. Imagination can answer a lot of questions that a normal finite mind cannot. You see, with imagination, there is no wrong answer. That is what makes imagination so special.
So we have this special individual who lives at the North Pole with a bunch of little people and delivers toys all over the world on one night.
Sounds hard to explain? Not really. Imagination explains it all.