Is there real santa claus


Is Santa Real? How to Tell Your Kids About Santa Claus

Christmas is coming, and that means things are about to get busy. There are cookies to bake, trees to decorate, gifts to buy, stockings to hang ... you know the drill! Of course, a big part of the holiday magic for many families is Santa Claus. And if you have curious children in your life, they might be starting to ask you questions about whether the Elf on the Shelf really reports back to Santa every night — or even if Santa Claus is real.

As kids get older, it's normal for questions to arise about how Santa's magic really works. Luckily, it's easy to prepare for the next time you have to answer when they ask "is Santa Claus real?" Here's how to share more information with your kids about Santa when the time is right.

So, is Santa Claus real?


Santa Claus is real, of course. The New York Sun even reported it back in 1897! But the current Santa Claus isn’t from the North Pole.

According to an article published in the Washington Post, a man from Long Island legally changed his name to Santa Claus in 2012. After spending years playing the role of Santa at Macy’s in New York City, Claus now continues to appear as Santa at community and private events. He told the Washington Post that legally changing his name made the experience a bit more enchanting. When a child asks if he’s really Santa, he has the documentation to back it up.

“I show them my driver’s license, credit card and insurance cards,” said Claus in the interview. “Now, I have proof that I am who I say I am. All of a sudden, it becomes more magical.”

Before that Santa Claus, there was Saint Nicholas. According to historical records, Saint Nicholas was a monk born in the third century in a village called Patara, now part of modern-day Turkey. He was known for his kindness and good deeds, and eventually came to be known as the protector of children and sailors. After his death, the legend and the magic of Saint Nicholas continued to spread throughout Europe. Eventually, Dutch, Swiss, and German immigrants moved to America and the tradition of Saint Nicholas evolved into the jolly, red-suited Santa Claus we know today.

How to answer questions about Santa Claus

If your kids are starting to ask questions about Santa, it might be time to think about how you address the topic

skynesher//Getty Images

If your kids are starting to ask questions about whether or not Santa is real, it might be time to think about how you plan to address the topic. If they’re young and you want to keep the magic alive, you can simply say "yes, of course" or redirect them from the question. If they’re a bit older, you might want to approach things differently.

Emily Edlynn, Ph.D., who runs The Art and Science of Mom also spoke about this topic with GoodHousekeeping.com:

“When a child says something along the lines of, 'Santa isn't real, is he?' it can be useful to reflect the question back to them to figure out why they think so,” she says. “When they're older and can think more critically, they'll tell you Santa isn't real, and especially when their peers are talking about Santa not being real. These are good indicators they're ready to hear the truth."

You can use this as an opportunity to think about what the story and tradition of Santa mean to your family, and how to keep good feelings associated with him alive in the future. Actress Kristen Bell spoke to WomansDay.com in 2019 about how she broached the topic with her daughter.

The (Wonderful) Truth About Santa

The (Wonderful) Truth About Santa

$13 at Barnes & Noble

When her daughter started to have suspicions about Santa, Bell offered to be honest with her. Then, she shared with her daughter that Santa Claus is "an imaginary game we play because it’s really, really fun." She also used a book called The Wonderful Truth About Santa Claus which teaches kids that anyone can be a Santa Claus by being kind and generous with others, especially during the holiday season.

Similarly, you can focus on ways to keep the spirit of Santa going during your family holiday celebrations, like being generous with your time and money, and spending time reflecting on your faith. You can continue to partake in your favorite traditions, like visiting Santa Claus via video chat or at the mall and following the Santa tracker on Christmas Eve, or start a new Santa-approved Christmas tradition that keeps the holiday magic alive, like Christmas caroling, watching classic Christmas movies together, sharing funny Christmas jokes, setting up the advent calendar and decorating your home.

Related Stories
  • I Want My Kids to Believe in Santa for a Long Time
  • How Kristen Bell Told Her Child About Santa Claus

Jamie Ballard

Jamie Ballard (she/her) is a freelance writer and editor who covers news, lifestyle, and entertainment topics, including sex and relationships, TV, movies, books, health, pets, food and drinks, pop culture, shopping, and personal finance. She regularly contributes to Cosmopolitan, Woman’s Day, Good Housekeeping, and YouGov, among other publications. When she’s not working, you can find her running, traveling, or scrolling TikTok. Follow her on Twitter.

This content is imported from OpenWeb. You may be able to find the same content in another format, or you may be able to find more information, at their web site.

Is Santa Real or Fake? Proof Santa Exists And Is True in 2022

At some point, everyone asks if Santa Claus is real.
Here's proof that Santa Claus exists!

I may be Santa's Grumpy Elf, but that question always makes me grumpier.  Why do people keep asking?  There's even websites that say Santa is not real!

Ok, ok, so is Santa real?  The short answer, in every way that matters, is YES, Santa Claus is real!  Not only is Santa true, he is legendary!

And if you still don't believe me, here are NINE proofs to prove that point like the point on my pointy shoes!

  • Mrs. Claus would be mad!
  • If you can feel him, then he must be real
  • Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus!
  • Christmas costs too much without Santa
  • Ockham's razor
  • There is no Santa greater than Santa!
  • You can't prove Santa doesn't exist!
  • Just Believe!
  • Ask Santa yourself!

Well, you can see Santa Claus is real right here in this photo, but keep reading for more proofs that Santa exists!

You can’t fool Mrs. Claus!

If Santa wasn’t real, then, oh boy, would Mrs. Claus be mad!

After all, who has she been married to all this time?

All those cookies and mince pies she’s baked didn’t just disappear by themselves after all!  (Ok, I did eat a few.  Grumpy elves get hungry too!)

Ockham’s razor, Santa’s Beard!

Ockham’s razor just means simpler answers are better.

And what could be a simpler answer than Santa delivering all those presents? 

Does somebody think that Martians do it instead?  Or maybe that parents do it?  Can you imagine all the parents in the world staying up all night pretending to be something they’re not?  The simple answer is that it is Santa being Santa; not millions of parents being Santa!

The Greatest Gift Giver

This proof sometimes makes my head hurt (which makes me even grumpier!) 

Santa is the greatest gift-giver you can imagine.   Even people who don’t believe in Santa agree that he is the greatest gift-giver they’ve heard about.  But if you can imagine Santa is the greatest gift-giver, then he must be real.  Otherwise, there would be an even more famous gift-giver that everyone knows about.  But there isn’t a gift-giver better than Santa.  So Santa must be real!

Ok, Prove Kris Kringle Doesn’t Exist!

If someone says Santa isn’t real to you, ask them to prove it!  They can’t!  Sure they might come up with all kinds of scientific questions to which you might not know the answer.  How could Santa do this? and How could Santa do that?.  But knowing all the answers to all their questions isn’t important.  It still doesn’t mean Santa doesn’t exist.  After all, there are billions of places in the universe and they don’t know what exists on any of them except for a very few here.  Have they even been to the North Pole for example?  Science cannot prove certain things, like Santa doesn’t exist.   People can only draw conclusions on what they find, not on what they can't find.

Yes Virginia Santa Is Real

On September 21, 1897, The New York Sun newspaper answered a question from a little girl.  Virginia O’Hanlon asked 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?.

You can read what was in the NY Sun newspaper here.

This is how the newspaper replied: Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. He exists as certainly as love and generosity and devotion exist, and you know that they abound and give to your life its highest beauty and joy... No Santa Claus! Thank God! He lives and lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay 10 times 10,000 years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

Well, it must be true if it was in The New York Sun!

Saint Nick Is Everywhere

Whether or not you believe in Santa Claus, Santa’s touch is felt around the world each Christmas.   He even seems to get more popular and be in more places every year!  If he wasn’t real, how could he do that? 

Christmas Costs Too Much

You know there are many people around you who love you very much.  But you know that adults don’t have time to make or get all those presents.  They are always so busy!  Even then, they wouldn’t have enough money to buy all those presents.  Some of them are very expensive after all.  Haven’t you ever heard an adult say That costs too much or We can’t afford that?

Even if you aren't sure about Santa, there is something you should know.  (He told me this himself.)  Everything and everyone changes.  What you believe now, you may not believe tomorrow, or you may believe again in the future.  The most important thing is that you keep the spirit of Santa in your heart.  Just like you keep your love for those who are special to you in your heart.  So long as he is in your heart, he will exist in the most important place of all!

If you still aren't sure about Santa, why don't you just ask him yourself?  You can send Santa a letter at emailSanta. com.  At the end there's a place where you can ask him Santa, are you real?.  I know Santa and I'm sure he'll answer your question.


Tweet that Santa Is Real!

Get a reminder to come back to emailSanta.com closer to Christmas! Come on Christmas Eve Day to watch Santa & his reindeer LIVE on the Santa Snooper! You can also help "Elf Control" track & talk to Santa Claus on his famous flight & send him emails!

Does Santa Claus really exist?

Does Santa Claus exist: Piqsels

In childhood, everyone sincerely believes in Santa Claus, and when they grow up and learn the opposite, they quickly take the opposite point of view. But what if the issue is not so clear-cut? Agree, Santa Claus is one of the oldest fairy-tale characters in the world, and his story can keep many secrets. We offer to find out various theories about whether Santa Claus exists, and form your own opinion on this matter.

Santa Claus exists: arguments “for”

Sooner or later, all children begin to doubt the fairy tale legend about the New Year's old man and come to their parents with the question: “Does Santa Claus exist?” Before upsetting a child, it is worth considering: is this character really just a figment of human imagination? Below you will find several weighty arguments that can refute this:

Santa Claus: the story of the character

Many people do not doubt the existence of Santa Claus, if only because this character has existed in different variations for more than a thousand years. But where he came from, two popular versions explain:

Ded Moroz is an ancient Slavic creature

Ded Moroz and Snegurochka in their modern form appeared relatively recently, in the 20th century. Before that, they managed to survive several transformations. Creatures resembling the famous New Year's character are found in ancient Slavic legends:

  1. Pozvizd - the Slavic god of bad weather and storms. He knew how to send snow, hail and wind, flew through the heavens.
  2. Zimnik is a short old man with white hair and a long beard. He always wore warm white clothes and foreshadowed the cold.
  3. Karachun - an evil spirit, the lord of frost.

With the advent of Christianity, the character migrated to the folklore of the Eastern Slavs. Frost (Morozko) controlled the element of the same name and was revered by people. In the 19th century, he became a popular character in children's fairy tales, and only in Soviet times was he credited with the features of the Western Santa Claus.

Still from the film "Morozko" (1964): YouTube/Ruslan Miterev

As you can see, the modern Santa Claus differs from the original version. But if you believe the chronicles, then he may well be a spirit or a mystical creature, the secret of which has not yet been solved by science.

Father Frost is a real person

According to another version, Archbishop Nikolay of Myra (Saint Nicholas) was the prototype of Father Frost. Even during his lifetime, he became famous for his virtue:

  • helped children and the poor;
  • healed people;
  • donated all the inherited property to those in need.

It was Nicholas who initiated the tradition of giving gifts. It is known that the archbishop helped three poor girls who could not get married due to lack of a dowry by secretly planting sacks of gold on them.

He threw a sack through the windows of two older sisters, while the window of the younger one was closed. Nikolai threw the bag into the chimney, and it landed right in the stocking, which the hostess washed and hung out to dry. Since then, houses have been decorated with decorative socks on New Year's holidays, putting gifts in them. Does Santa Claus exist? But the fact that the image of the New Year's character exists in many cultures of the globe makes even inveterate skeptics think. Moreover, their appearance and abilities are very similar:

  • in English-speaking countries - Santa Claus;
  • in France - Pere Noel;
  • in Finland - Joulupukki;
  • in Karelia - Pakkaine;
  • in Kazakhstan - Ayaz Ata;
  • in Azerbaijan - Baba Mine;
  • in China - Shen Dan Laozhen.

All these images were formed not under the influence of modern world culture, but came from folklore.

Is there a real Santa Claus: the theory of relativity

Skeptics say that the existence of Santa Claus contradicts the laws of physics, because it is simply impossible to deliver gifts to all children on Earth alone overnight. But it turned out that Einstein's theory of relativity allows for the existence of Santa Claus. Evidence in 2016 was provided by physicist Kathy Shin of the University of Exeter in the UK.

The researcher calculated that if Santa Claus can reach speeds of ten million kilometers per hour, it will not be difficult for him to go around all the guys on the planet. The number is impressive, but theoretically achievable, because it is a hundred times less than the speed of light.

Does Santa Claus exist: Unsplash

This can explain other features of Santa Claus:

  1. Moving at such a speed, he remains invisible to human eyes and hearing.
  2. Most likely, at such a high speed, the size of Santa Claus would also change. Therefore, he will be able to enter houses without much effort.
  3. For an object moving at this speed, time passes more slowly. Therefore, it seems that Santa Claus does not change over the years.

Of course, these are just assumptions, because humanity has no idea what a real Santa Claus can be capable of. An alternative point of view about its existence will be considered below.

Santa Claus exists: arguments against it

There is no contemporary evidence that anyone met Santa Claus in person. Indisputable facts proving its existence, too. But not only these arguments cause people skepticism. There are at least two other compelling theories about this:

Santa Claus is a marketer's fiction

It is widely believed that Santa Claus is nothing more than a capitalist invention, thanks to which goods are sold better. And this version has a completely understandable logic:

  1. Let's start with the fact that the modern image of Santa Claus was formed in the 1920s thanks to the Coca-Cola advertising campaign.
  2. And in 1931, the artist Haddon Sundblom painted the same Santa in a red suit especially for a carbonated drinks brand. It is noteworthy that before this the character had never worn clothes of this color: she was green, white, blue and even brown, but not red at all.
Does Santa Claus exist: Pixabay

Today, the image of Santa Claus appears on any product group and significantly increases sales, appealing to pleasant associations of buyers.

Spectators are happy to see New Year's films in the cinema (Santa Claus, according to approximate estimates, is in two thousand films). American economists believe that this fairy tale character gives the US economy a huge boost every year. However, because of this, people lose faith in miracles.

Santa Claus exists or not: the opinion of zoologists

Santa Claus uses different vehicles:

  1. In Russian fairy tales, Frost rides in a big sleigh to which he harnesses his horses.
  2. In today's pop culture, the idea is that this character rides reindeer.

And here there is a contradiction with the theory put forward by Cathy Shin. If you can still imagine that supernatural abilities allow Santa Claus to move at incredible speeds, then there are no animals in nature capable of developing such speed. And about whether they can fly in the sky, you don’t even have to ask zoologists.

Obviously, if Santa Claus exists, it is far from being in the form that is commonly believed. But, perhaps, the New Year is a suitable occasion to forget about rationality for a while and just believe in a fairy tale.

Sources:

  1. Dushenko K.V. Myths of the 20th century: Father Frost and the Snow Maiden // Bulletin of Culturology. - 2002. - No. 4. — pp. 142–158.
  2. Folk culture and problems of its study: Collection of articles // Proceedings of the scientific regional conference 2008 - Voronezh State University. — 2009. — S. 196–197.
  3. The secrets of Santa Claus revealed by the theory of relativity // University of Exeter. Public release. - 2016. - December 14.
  4. Mark Hulbert. The real Santa Claus rally is yet to come // MarketWatch. — 2019. — December 21.

Original article: https://www.nur.kz/leisure/interesting-facts/1889009-susestvuet-li-ded-moroz-na-samom-dele/

Everything about the Russian Santa Claus: where does he live, how old is he, and where did he come from

Where does Santa Claus live, and whether it is possible to see him - a question that children overcome. Read to the end to find out the whole truth about the appearance of the main symbol of the New Year.

Contents:

  • Prototypes of Santa Claus
    • Is there a real Santa Claus?
    • How old is Santa Claus?
    • What does Santa Claus look like?
    • About the character of the New Year wizard
    • About Father Frost's family
  • Where does Santa Claus live and how to get to him?
    • How to get to Father Frost's house?
    • Post
    • Terem
    • Other residences
  • What is the name of Father Frost in other countries?

Prototypes of Santa Claus

Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com

The image of Santa Claus is assembled from pagan and religious beliefs. Before the Baptism of Russia, people saw gods behind every natural phenomenon. The creaking frost that covered the expanses of present-day Russia, in the imagination of the ancestors, was an evil white-bearded old man in a fur coat. The Slavic tribes believed that he commanded inclement weather and could increase the cold.

As soon as the ancestors began to notice that after a lot of snow they could harvest more crops, their attitude towards the formidable Frost changed. They believed that he generously endows some, and freezes others to death. Despite the fact that he was in no way connected with the meeting of the New Year holiday and the New Year tree, his features were preserved in the modern representation of Santa Claus.

In Christian times, he was associated with the elder of the city of Patara, who did charitable deeds in the 4th century AD. e. A real person was presented as St. Nicholas. The image of Nicholas the Wonderworker formed the basis of the modern wizard, who generously presented the kids.

Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com

After the decree of Peter the Great, the chronology changed in 1699 and the New Year, which began not on September 1, but on January 1, became an officially revered holiday. It is not known whether the image of Santa Claus was then used as a winter magician or not. The first written mention is dated 1840. The Russian figure of the era of romanticism Vladimir Fedorovich Odoevsky wrote about him in his story. The nickname Moroz Ivanovich became the literary name of Father Frost.

After the collapse of the Russian Empire, he disappeared and reappeared. Since 1918, the Soviet government changed the calendar to the Gregorian one, gave all post-Soviet countries the concept of the Old New Year and abandoned the holiday altogether. Due to ideological motives, true party members associated the New Year holidays with sabotage (sabotage is a provocative activity with the aim of undermining social foundations) of the Soviet regime. It was not so much Santa Claus that was banned, as a symbol of the New Year, but the holding of the holiday itself. First they canceled Christmas, then the New Year tree, and then the New Year.

Grandfather Frost appeared with his granddaughter Snegurochka a few years later. After the catchphrase of Joseph Stalin, “Life has become better, comrades. Life has become more fun” was allowed to celebrate the New Year holiday again. On December 28, 1935, an article was published in the main newspaper of the country, Pravda, which offered to arrange a good New Year tree for children. 1936 - the first year, the meeting of which was held with the participation of Santa Claus, who appeared in Moscow on the Christmas tree along with the Snow Maiden.

Is there a real Santa Claus?

Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com

Santa Claus is a symbol of a fairy tale created by the hands of parents. In fact, it does not exist, but it is not necessary to know this in childhood. Particularly inquisitive children who refuse to believe in the existence of Santa Claus can be told about the conclusion of physicist Kathy Shin. An employee of the University of Exeter in the UK has scientifically proven, using the special theory of relativity, how an old man manages to silently and quickly fly around the planet in one New Year's Eve. She calculated that at a speed of 10 million km / h, the wizard delivers gifts around the world, and due to the Doppler effect, his movement cannot be tracked.

“Mom, does Santa Claus exist?”: how to answer a child's questions and is it worth telling the “truth”? Psychologist's recommendations.

How old is Santa Claus?

The birthday of the Russian Father Frost, whose prototype originated long ago, has been celebrated only since 2005. The tradition is fresh and appeared due to the fact that in Veliky Ustyug they annually organize festive festivities associated with Grandfather Frost. The city, which became the birthplace of the white-bearded old man, welcomes children and their parents during December and January with winter entertainment. The date appeared not by chance: November 18 is the day of the onset of cold. It became the birthday of the children's magician, on which children send postcards and letters of congratulations to the birthday man.

What does Santa Claus look like?

Prostock-studio/Shutterstock. com

Grandfather Frost is recognized by:

  • long thick beard;
  • red fur coat, embroidered with silver and trimmed with swan's down;
  • a red semi-oval hat with a swan's down trim, in the middle of which there is a triangular cutout;
  • felt boots embroidered with silver;
  • white belt with red ornament;
  • a crystal staff with a twisted handle ending with a crescent moon;
  • red gift bag.

About the character of the New Year's wizard

Unlike his American colleague, Russian Santa Claus has never been a merry fellow. He gives the impression of a stern good-natured man, guided by a sense of justice. He knows how the children behaved in the past year, and asks them to read the quatrain. In return, he gives them gifts and stays at the party for a short while.

Find out What to give a child for the New Year 2021: great gift ideas for boys and girls of all ages.

About Father Frost's family

Grandfather is always accompanied by his granddaughter Snegurochka. The first mention of her is found in Russian folklore, where she appears as a girl thawed from the snow. At first she was called a daughter, but the concept of a granddaughter took root.

Where does Santa Claus live and how to get to him?

Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com

Father Frost's homeland is located in Veliky Ustyug, 11 km from which is the house of a fairy tale character. It is no coincidence that the main residence of Father Frost is located in one of the most ancient cities of the Russian North, which has preserved a rich cultural heritage. The city is located on the banks of the Sukhona River in the northeastern part of the Vologda Oblast. In addition to the residence of the main New Year's character, guests of the city visit numerous churches, temples and historical monuments. People come to the Estate of Father Frost to see how the national favorite lives and what he does.

How to get to Father Frost's house?

If you drive to the residence in your own car, follow the navigator's route to the village of Medinskoye, Vologda Oblast. By train and plane you can get to Ustyug from major cities of Russia by direct flight or with transfers. From Ustyug to the residence can be reached by bus. Take care of accommodation in advance, because many parents try to bring their children before the New Year or during the winter holidays.

Don't worry about your child when you travel. You will never lose it, knowing the exact location of the child on the map, and being able to turn on the sound around the gadget with the Find My Kids app.

Mail

Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com

Throughout the year, the good wizard receives letters and gifts from children. Those who visit his house can drop a couple of lines to their relatives, and everyone's favorite bearded man will sign the letter. Traveling to visit the New Year's wizard will please not only children, but also their parents, who will be able to return to childhood for a while.

Find out also How to write a letter to Santa Claus and where to send it and What can I ask Santa Claus for the New Year?

Terem

Granddaughter Snegurochka welcomes guests. Visitors to the residence can visit all the rooms of the tower:

  • the bedroom, where there is a carved bed with downy featherbeds;
  • dressing room, where the owner of the house changes into amazing fabulous outfits;
  • office, which contains a library and an observatory, and on New Year's Eve - and a mountain of gifts for visiting guests.

Meeting with Father Frost makes winter excursions to Veliky Ustyug popular.

Other residences

Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com

Everyone who cannot visit the main house of Father Frost, go to the nearest residence of the New Year's magician:

  1. Moscow estate in Kuzminsky forest.
  2. Shuvalovka village near St. Petersburg.
  3. Ural (every year the residence opens in different cities of the region).
  4. Tomsk Pisanitsa, Kemerovo region.
  5. Kazan, where the Tatar grandfather Frost - Kysh Babay is located.

Before the New Year Father Frost visits all his residences, where he organizes competitions and tells fairy tales to children. Residence guests will be offered winter entertainment, sleigh rides, attractions, theatrical performances and holidays with the issuance of gifts. The rest of the winter wizards have residences located in different parts of the world. For example, according to Andersen's fairy tales, Santa Claus shares Lapland with the cruel Snow Queen.

What is the name of Father Frost in other countries?

Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com

Every country in the world has its own fairy-tale character, which differs from Santa Claus in name, costume and supporting characters. Russian Father Frost appears on New Year's Eve, the main holiday of winter, which is usually celebrated along with Christmas in different parts of the world. Depending on traditions and beliefs, each nation has its own idea of ​​what Santa Claus looks like.

USA, Canada, Western Europe, Australia

In these countries, gifts for children are brought by Santa Claus, who has a different outfit, retinue and habits. Unlike the New Year's character in Russia, he does not personally present the gifts, but arranges them according to the socks hung over the fireplace. Penetrates inside under the cover of night through the chimney, leaving a retinue and a sleigh with gifts for other kids in the sky next to the house. He rides a sleigh pulled by reindeer in a circle of fabulous elves. He does not wear a long fur coat to the floor, like Santa Claus, but a short red jacket, a red cap and round glasses.

Georgia

Georgians call him Tovlis babua or Tovlis papa, which means “snow grandfather”. According to local beliefs, he came from the highland village of Ushguli in northwestern Georgia. He is presented as a gray-haired old man with a long white beard, dressed in a plain chokha with a white cloak and a traditional Svan hat. A fairy-tale character keeps gifts for children in a large bag called "khurjini".

Finland

Prostock-studio/Shutterstock.com

Among the Finns, Grandfather Frost looks more like an overseas Santa Claus: he is surrounded by gnomes in pointed hats and capes similar to elves, he is dressed in a red jacket and cap.


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