In 1975 I grew my beard, but not to be Santa. I just wanted to grow a beard. Over time it began to turn gray, then white,
and in 2002, I was standing in a grocery store line when a little girl peering
over her father’s shoulder suddenly looked at me and shouted, “Santa!” Well, it was December, so I went along with
it and became Santa for her and other children in the store—and I liked
it.
A few months later, about April or so, I was in a Home Depot
when a young boy ran up to me and grabbed hold of my leg shouting, “Thank you,
Santa! Thank you for my gift!” The first thing I did was look around for a
parent, then when I located his father grinning at the scene, I became Santa in
the middle of the plumbing aisle.
In 2004, I heard on the news about a Santa organization having their annual meeting at a restaurant in Long Beach, CA, so I showed up. Soon I was enrolled in a Santa School, and I’ve been Santa ever since.
There is no end to the training and preparation to be a
quality Santa. I have a Master Santa
Claus certificate from one the Santa schools, and I study being Santa on my
own. I look like Santa every day of the
year, so I must always be prepared to be the best Santa I can be even when I
think no one is looking, and in the middle of June.
This means grooming the hair and beard every day. No drinking or smoking. No bad breath or spicy foods. Language must always be guarded. The list is long, but I have to remember
that no matter what I’m doing, people (especially children) always recognize me
as Santa.
This also means there are places I cannot go. Disneyland is such a place. Anyone whose appearance is of Santa, or a
pirate, or any other recognizable character whose look could possibly be
confused with the Disney characters, will be barred from entering the
park. Also, I cannot go anywhere there
is another working Santa, such as a mall, but this extends to many stores
during November and December as well.
Children do not need the confusion of multiple Santa’s in one location.
I have to be current on games, toys, and anything else a
child may be hoping to receive as a gift.
I also have to be prepared for those tough questions such as, “Why
didn’t you come to my house last year?” or “Can you bring my Daddy home?” or
“Why do my Mommy and Daddy fight?”
There are many tough questions, and it’s always hard to hear them from a
child, but Santa has to be ready for them.
I am often online with other working Santa’s sharing our
knowledge and experiences. We learn
from each other, and we help each other.
Several times I have had the opportunity to be a mentor to newer Santa’s,
but the learning process always continues for every one of us.
I was recently the first Santa for a child barely 24 hours
old. His mother said she would have
brought him to see me the day he was born, but they wouldn’t let her out of the
hospital.
And I have had children approaching 100 years of age sit in
my lap to make their Christmas requests.
For many of these older visitors it’s a very emotional experience to be
sitting in Santa’s lap for the first time in their lives. It’s surprising how many older persons have
always longed for a chance to get that special hug and attention that Santa
provides.
Every year the request list changes a little bit from the
year before. Recently the list has
included Angry birds, Barbie (and everything that goes with Barbie), i-phones,
i-pads, electronic pets, anything Elmo, bicycles, Legos, Harleys, Cameros,
Weii, Xbox, PS3. It’s an unending list
with a lot of surprises. Many two and
three year old children just want toys—any toys. World Peace comes up a lot.
I have had requests for a turnip, a can of chicken noodle
soup, a hippopotamus, and a big box (I hope she wanted a present inside of the
big box). One four year old wanted
deodorant.
I have been privileged to appear at tree lightings for
cities and resorts. I have also been
privileged to appear at nursing homes, car lots, garden nurseries, corporate
events, and private homes. I’ve even
been seen on national television shows.
Many Santa’s belong to organizations and groups across
America and around the world. Some are
local, some are national, and some are international, but all promote quality. These organizations are helping families and
businesses (really, anyone who hires a Santa) to realize the difference between
the professional Santa with a real beard, real suit, real boots, and real belt,
and a boxed kit Santa with pillow falling out from under his jacket and a beard
at a strange angle.
These organizations also have created a network of many
hundreds of professional Santa’s who are in contact throughout the year helping
each other improve through training and advice.
In mentioning the Santa organizations, I have to recognize
Santa Tim Connaghan. Through his
efforts, many of today’s groups have come into being, and several have reached
national and international recognition.
Also, Santa Tim produces one of the most notable Santa schools in
America. Anyone seeking more
information about his schools can reach him at santa@realsantas.com .
Today’s American Santa is the result of an evolution that
only since WWII has become somewhat standardized. In the late 1700’s the Dutch of New York celebrated December 6
(St. Nicholas Day) with the character Sinterklass who was included in
Washington Irving’s 1809 comic History of New York. Later Clement Moore gave him a more current
description in his poem A Visit from St. Nicholas also known as ‘Twas
the Night Before Christmas. During
the post-Civil War era, Thomas Nast continued the development of the appearance
of Santa Claus through many illustrations for Harper’s Weekly, but
nothing was consistent in the overall appearance of the person.
Santa Claus often appeared jolly and plump, as in Clement
Moore’s poem, but just as often he was very thin. His clothing was more often blue, or brown, or green rather than
red. And he often wore the long robes
of the Dutch Sinterklass or other European versions of St. Nicholas. It wasn’t until Haddon Sundblom began
painting Santa for Coca-Cola advertisements in 1931 that the modern image of
the jolly old elf began to take shape.
America was just beginning to accept this image of Santa when WWII
began, so it was only after the war that the current Santa Claus really
exploded with the post war prosperity.
Now this image of the American Santa Claus is spreading
around the world. Countries with a
tradition based on St. Nicholas are not unaware of the American Santa even
though they still keep their own customs and practices. But in countries where there is no such
tradition, the American Santa is becoming very popular.
Each year several hotels, malls, and large businesses in
places such as Tokyo and Hong Kong import American Santas to visit with
everyone. These Santas are treated
almost like movie stars as the people celebrate the season (even if they don’t
know what the season is about).
Everyone enjoys having a photo made with Santa.
It is believed that the first printed use of the name Santa
Claus is found in Rivington’s Gazette (New York City), December 23, 1773.
A Philadelphia merchant J.W. Parkinson may have been the
first person to have a store Santa when in 1841 he hired a man to dress up as
Kris Kringle and climb the chimney of his department store.
And “Jingle Bells” was originally written as a song for
Thanksgiving.
A little more about me can be found at www.NeedSanta.com .