Always Santa
It seems that no matter if it's Christmas or not, I am always in character as the Jolly Elf. It is not that I act as Santa all the time, but people cannot help saying, "hi Santa" when they see me. When I play Kris Kringle many hours during the holidays, sometimes I forget and start waving at kids while in street clothes.
Parents not knowing who I was will pull their kids a little closer when I pay them attention. A couple of times I had to go to the parents and tell them that I play Santa during Christmas and their child had visited with me at the mall. When I am not dressed in my costume, I still have people coming up to me and ask, "has anyone ever told you that you looked like Santa Claus?"
I also have to be careful where I go and what is around me. Standing near a liquor store or an adult bookstore can be misleading to kids and grownups alike. Only people that really know me know that I do not go into those places. Nevertheless, I do not want to be put in a position to explain. Can you imagine standing in front of a liqueur waiting for someone or talking to a friend? Any parent knew that I did Santa would think twice before letting me sit with their child. Therefore, I must be constantly on guard on my present location. It would be better to stand by a library or a school.
I took my wife on a getaway weekend to the Poconos Mountains and everyone thought I was Santa on vacation. After dinner one night and before the show started, the MC said he had a friend of his in the audience. Therefore, he asked me to stand up. I was sitting at the table with my wife. He says. "This is my personal friend, Santa Claus.” I stood up and took a bow. The man at the table next to me said. "You are kind of big, "how do you get down the chimney?" My response was that there was magic involved in doing that feat. Patting my stomach, “actually, a lot of magic was involved.” Everyone in the room laughed.
Even Santa is not safe from women who use innuendoes and other means trying to get a sexual response. It could be either for their own gain, or to get Santa in trouble or embarrassed. Thinking as St. Nicholas is one of my shields against this kind of game. If I stay in character constantly, then it can be handled. Most times these types of women are harmless, other times I must be extra careful. That is what I tell those men who come to me for instructions on how to be a good Santa. This kind of action may never happen to them. However, if it ever does, then they will be prepared. I also tell them, if you are single, and you are looking for a date; dressed as Santa is not the way. It is best to ignore what they say. Just talk about toys, reindeer, or hurry them along and see the kids waiting for you. I have found an easy solution. Just do not play into what they say. Do not answer their innuendoes or sexual questions. By defusing the comments and keeping the Christmas spirit foremost, the person or persons making those remarks, will tire and move on. My dad used to say, “if you do not feed the fire, it will go out.”
After the Christmas season, during the summer months I carry pictures of me dressed as Santa. If a kid asks if I am Santa, I just sign over a picture of me. If I can keep the illusion going other than Christmas time, I will.
A Day at the Mall
Portraying Santa at private parties and a family get together is often a lot of fun. Even company Christmas office parties where an occasional picture taking by a photographer with a client, and their children can be enlightening. However, a real test of your Claus metal is at the malls. It is like a completely new world if you have never done them before. Sure, we have all see a person with the suit, beard, and white hair sitting there with an endless line of children and their parents before him. In addition, let us not leave the women out. I have seen a few women play Santa when there were no men to do it. Sometimes just filling in while the men playing Claus is at a bathroom break or out sick. I have to give the women credit; they try, but the kids know.
Now I do not normally go to the malls outside of the holiday shopping seasons. To me, they are crowded, with people pushing and shoving. It is not even the Christmas holiday season yet. Can you imagine if it was? I usually start my role early in the morning just as the mall opens. I am almost the last one out of the door at night when the stores close. I must admit some of the bigger malls are not at all terrible. I have played Santa at three of the biggest malls in my area. I have seen just about everything that can be done to a Santa. It has also helped me become more in character. In this chapter (which is the biggest), I will try to show some of the things I have learned, and the experiences on my road to
Santadom
. In addition, a few light stories along the way. "Malls,
ya
gotta
love
em
!"
I believe the key value in sitting for photographs in the mall is watching the flow of children and parents in line waiting to see you. Do not allow line to get to big or unmanageable. Spend a few minutes with each child and keep the line moving. Be patient with the kids who cry and will not come near you no matter how much the parents plead. Remember, always keep the lines moving. I have learned to control the waiting of others by how much time I spend with each child. How much time is spent with a child is up to you. There is no set limit. It depends on how many are waiting. Some take less than a couple of minutes, others three or four minutes. I have learned not to rush kids. A few worthwhile minutes can go a long way.
Sitting for a picture can be tedious and exhausting. Some of you may ask, "how hard can it be to sit there with a child on your lap while someone snaps a picture?” People may think it means just sitting there like a lump. Sure, almost anyone can do that. But to be a true Santa, I must be animated. Waving at everyone, laughing with jolly ho’s, and the biggest smile in the world for hours on end, cannot be done by just anyone. It is what you are doing to impress the children, not waiting for your set time to be over and collect your day’s wages for being a lump. On a normal weekend during the four weeks before Christmas, I see about 500-600 children. Out of those, maybe 50-60 will scream and cry trying to get away from me. Fourteen hours on Black Friday (Day after Thanksgiving), is the biggest shopping day of the year. Any kid in the mall at that time will want to see Santa Claus. I sit for four and half-hours on a weekday after my regular job, and all day Saturday and Sunday. Right up to Christmas, and that includes ten hours on Christmas Eve day. The part-time money is good, but you really got to love children to put up with those kinds of hours.
Here is a good trick that seems to work for me. Children who are afraid of brightly dressed people (age 6mos - 1 1/2 years old) should be brought to Santa backwards if the parents really want their picture taken. Another parent or friend should try to keep the child's attention forward and away from Santa. The child does not realize they are on Santa's lap, and a picture can be taken immediately. Sometimes the parents get confused, and they walk themselves backwards instead of the child. Moreover, when the child on their shoulder sees me, a scream can be heard around the world. Then there are older children (ages 10-12) who come to see Santa with the idea of trying to pull off the beard, so he gets embarrassed. With a real beard, it does not come off, but it can be painful. I get those beard tugs from time to time, but it is enough that I have to be ever watchful. You can see them coming; it is in their eyes.
As part of the promotion for the mall where I play Santa, is to give out paper reindeer antlers. Some malls give away coloring books or small inexpensive puzzles. Every child who comes to see Santa will get a set of ears to wear. We are just supposed to give to the children, and let the parents fumble putting them on. There is a tab on the back so that it is adjusted to fit any head size. I as a matter of style, I choose to put them on every single child who passes my way. Whether they come and sit with me or just walk by. After doing this for some time, it is easy to become accustomed to a child’s head size with or without a lot of hair. This day was like the rest, a million kids all wanting to see me and get their ears. I would look at a child's head, make the adjustment, and then put them on their heads. Ninety-eight percent of the time, I get a perfect fit. After several minutes, a mother brings her daughter to see me. I put a set of reindeer ears on the little girl’s head. The mother says to me, “I have been watching you do that ever since we got into line. How do you get the reindeer antlers to fit a kid’s head without trying it on them first?” “It is not too difficult I tell her. I can tell you my secret if you do not tell anyone else.” “Sure,” she says with a child's gleam in her eyes. She leans closer as I tell her. “Well, all I do is look at the child's head, remember what their size was last year, and just add an inch. It is a perfect fit every time!” The mother looks at me in disbelief. She did not know what to make of this. She just walks away shaking her head with her daughter bouncing beside her. The little girl telling everyone she meets that she is one of Santa's reindeer.
I have played Santa since 1985. From that year, to the present, I have seen approximately 22,000 children. I have talked to 22,000 children.
I have held 22,000 children. Moreover, I have heard 22,000 requests for Christmas gifts. I hope I have made a difference in some of them. This total is based on the items I have given out. (Reindeer hats, coloring books, candy canes, etc.) I knew what the count was when I started each day. At least, 20,000 have sat on my knees. I deducted a small percentage of children who have come back every day during that year’s Christmas season. I see kids from three days old just out of the hospital to eighty-four-year old grandmothers. All manner of children, from all lifestyles have paid me a visit at least once in their journey. Kids from most of the largest countries of the world, visiting or vacationing in the states have stopped by to see me; with languages, I did not understand, but was still able to make that child smile.
