I wore the Red Suit (2 page)

“I said sure!
 
They need candy canes too.” The father thanked me, and the two of the girls took my offered candy canes, but it was the littlest one that caught my heart. She put her arms out to me and said. “Santa, Santa! I love you!” I melted, and not from the rain. She put her little arms around my neck and would not let go. It always feels good to make the children this happy.

Every year now, I become the white-bearded toy maker and giver of gifts. For that reason, I decided to write my adventures and feelings while playing the most notable character in history. It is a way for me to share my experiences over fifteen years and what it truly felt like to be Santa Claus. I have been Santa in some very interesting ways. From Santa at large malls, to riding on a motorcycle covered with toys. There were TV interviews on Toys for Tots, newspaper articles and stories; even a soft drink commercial I made in NYC. Over the course of fifteen years, I have perfected my portrayal of Santa Claus after what the real Santa is like. He is not just a fictional character or an illusion to me, but a real person. A person, who likes kids and makes them feel good. Someone who can answer questions the children have about Christmas, reindeer, elves and toys. When you look into their eyes, you know that they believe what you are telling them.

I found that always wishing would not make things happen any faster. That is how it is during the Christmas Season. My thoughts turn to seeing the children I saw in the last few years. To see how much they have grown. Did they do anything special? How is school this year? When you play Santa as much as I have, you remember children’s faces and their names. They all have one thing in common, they all believe in Santa Claus. So, I am waiting patiently for the weeks that precede Christmas. Trying to push time to go a little faster. I suppose I should be trying to slow time down as my age increases. It is not just seeing the children, those that have sat on padded knew, but the new ones with wonderment filling their eyes. It is the stories that they bring with them. Also, the visual identity that marks a child as unique, but still a part of the clan of children.

With the many years of experience, I am probably the best qualified person to tell this story, except maybe the real Santa. Besides, if Santa cannot believe in himself, how can he convince the children and adults to believe?

The Reason Why

 
        
There are so many reasons why I play Santa every year. The smile I can bring to any child is more than enough to do it. Just being able to perform the Santa Claus impersonation is very useful as it brings a thrill to every child who crosses my path.
 
I guess it is the time of the year that brings out this need in me; Jesus' birth, gift giving, Christmas shopping and snow. This is just a part of what I feel inside, and want to share with everyone. It becomes a magical time for me. I labor hard all year, and it is an emotional release, which recharges my humanity batteries. I am very serious when it comes to my portrayal, or the image of Santa I create. Everything from what I wear to how I act. Portraying Santa can be an overwhelming prospect, as he is one of the most well known white-bearded men in our chronicled times. My attitude is to capture the Christmas Spirit and the reasons why I started to play Santa in the first place
. It is that reason, and
the children's eyes when they look at me -- the way they light up.

The children are not the only ones that brighten up during the season, as the houses in the neighborhood are all aglow with flashing lights and Christmas scenes, including my own home. I start putting up lights and statues in early October. I test the light strings, but I do not turn the whole works on until after Thanksgiving. I can think of nothing greater than walking through a neighborhood with all the houses aglow. The families’ safe inside, while outside it is snowing and the aroma of cooking escapes the houses to mingle with the cold crisp air. The stillness and cold seem to heighten the senses. A full moon on the snow that covers almost every surface brings crystal clarity to the night.

On one of my first shopping mall Santa encounters, a woman places a stuffed Teddy Bear in my lap. It seems that her little daughter was in a hospital hours away and could not see Santa. Therefore, she sent her Teddy Bear with her mother with instructions for the bear to tell Santa what she wanted for Christmas. The mother actually brought in the Teddy bear for me to talk with. I bent over and let the bear whisper in my ear as the mother looked on. The fuzzy little bruin told me everything that the little girl wanted for Christmas. They took pictures to show the little girl whose name is Angela, that the bear actually was sitting with Santa.
 
Those memories of when I played Santa Claus will be with me forever.

         
I help to usher in the Christmas season, while spreading cheer and appearing in the newspapers. I cannot tell you the number of pictures of me with children that are sitting on a family’s mantel. I try to inspire magical thinking, offering hope and persist in keeping innocence alive. I am glad to say that I am a humble representative of an ageless tradition.
This dedication to playing Santa Claus during the six-weeks before Christmas does not come without sacrifice, as my wife is left to prepare for the holidays without me around to help full time. Besides my real job, the Santa appearances and shows leave little time to help out at home. My wife is used to it by now, as she knows that my alter life as a large elf makes me happy.

I find that playing Santa Claus for children, whether as a mall Santa, or a Santa for charity who works to cheer up less fortunate children is an uplifting and honorable job. I have not found anything on earth that can compare with the smile on a child's face, when they find out that Santa is in the room with them. Success portraying Santa can be easily measured when your attitude mimics the caring nature of Saint Nickolas.
While listening to the radio in my car, they are talking about toys for tots at the mall. Then they say while in the mall stop in and see Santa Claus. It makes me feel good, because they are talking about me, since I am the only Santa there on the weekends.

Suiting Up

           
Over the years, I have found many short cuts in getting ready to play Santa Claus. From the little things I carry, to the way I dress myself, to my frame of mind as I prepare. This chapter keys on several areas for anyone who wants to portray Santa and improve their character. By passing on my experiences, I hope it helps the other Santa’s to fully evolve their character portrayal. It also shows some insight to those who think putting on a red suit and smiling for the kids is all that we need to do to make it work. If one truly wants to convince the children of Santa’s existence, then read on.

Preparing mentally is by far the easiest part. Before I encounter the first kid, whether sitting for pictures at the mall, or walking around neighborhoods I visualize making toys, working with elves, toy schedules and talking to reindeer. I think of these things that Santa would think of that puts me in the right frame of mind and mood. Now I am not saying to go about telling everyone you meet that you, are the real Claus. It may get you put somewhere padded. I like to think that outwardly, I look and act as Santa, but inside I am still the same person I was when putting on the costume. Santa is a good-natured kind of person and always seems happy and glad to see you. He never walks around with a scowl on his face. Always lives in the moment and has the right frame of mind. What would the real Santa think about going through his day? I find that if I am planning to see many children during the holidays, it will make me more convincing to think there is an army of elves still at the North Pole working on toys for me.
 

While thinking about the North Pole and toys, as I travel home from work on Friday night, I am mentally preparing myself for tomorrow morning when I arrive as Santa at a big shopping mall. I have previously visited countless toy stores and played with nearly every new toy that has come out in the past year. I even revisit the old faithful toys that are around every season, and children still want. When a child asks for a particular toy or game, they saw on television, I am already well versed in its use and function. The first year I strolled around the toy stores, playing with this toy or that, the employees and managers thought I was strange. Now they expect to see me every year just before Thanksgiving. Some of the staff will even bring their own kids when they know that I am to visit their store. Children will follow me down the aisles giggling when I spin around and do a hearty ho
ho
!

By now, I have already checked my suit for wear and had it professionally cleaned at the end of last Christmas season. The costume sits in a closet for the other eleven months. It hangs next to my backup Santa suit. I spend a few minutes and brush the fur on my hat to bring out its fullness. My old boots are polished and ready by the door. These boots have been part of my costume since the first day I did Santa. I only wear those black and shiny boots during the Christmas season when I play the magical elf. I am ready both physically and mentally. Still, after all these years I get a little nervous and have a touch of apprehension. The night before I am to arrive, my wife and I always go to the mall and walk around. I like to get used to the set as the mall marketing group likes to change things to make it fresh and current. It does not hurt to check that everything will be ready for the next day. It is early evening, so I will watch parents and their kids looking at the Santa set in great anticipation. We will watch from the upper levels so the kids do not see me near the set, even though I am in street clothes. The newspaper says that Santa has already arrived at the other malls. Here it is a week before Thanksgiving; rushing it a little are we? It used to be Santa never arrived until after Thanksgiving. Nevertheless, all the competition has the malls in my area scrambling to get a jump on each other. Having Santa there early will help sales I guess. The idea is that it will bring more customers in to shop. I could take a stand and not do this Santa routine until December, but they are still going to get someone to do it. Therefore, since that is the way it is going to be, it might as well be this Santa that the kids see first. After doing Santa for ten years, the marketing departments will go into a bidding fight in order to get me to sit at their malls. I am loyal to the Poughkeepsie Galleria Mall, so I stay with them every season. As my following has grown, parents and kids alike always come back to the mall, where they first saw me. If I were to go somewhere else, the kids would be disappointed if they could not find me.

So I stay at one mall as I am about to face several hundred kids tomorrow as Santa arrives. I will come out in the middle of all those kids screaming, Santa, Santa! The first thing I do is look for my wife. She is my stability when I get nervous. Then I see Susan, in the same place every year, on the circular stairs, about halfway up to the second level. She is watching me with tears in her eyes. She is still a little girl on the inside. I can relax and go about enjoying the children. It takes almost three full minutes before I can work my way through the packed crowd of kids and stand on the stage. My first task is to welcome all the children and their parents. We sing a couple of Christmas songs, then I work my way to my large green overstuffed chair. “Let the madness begin.”

So I can concentrate on those young ones all around me, and not worry about how I look, I find that a proper fitting suit is also important. Pant legs that ride up and show bare legs and socks will get the kids to wondering. Constantly pulling at your suit will add a distraction you do not need when it is a busy time. My suit was custom-made for me by a seamstress with my exact body measurements. The pant legs length and coat sleeves are longer; there is Velcro and zippers to fasten everything together. The hat fits my head perfectly. The three little bells above the white fur trim tinkle when I move my head. I take my role very seriously. Now, everyone cannot go out and have a Santa suit made for them. At least try to find one that fits and you are comfortable. A leather-working friend of mine, made an extra-wide belt with an enormous brass buckle with studs that looked like snowflakes. I do not have to worry about those cheap belts that crack and discolor after one season’s wear.

In my Santa suit, I have a pocket in which I keep several items that I may need without leaving the set, such as; Santa Band-Aids, for those times, a child will show me a cut or booboo. I ask the parents first, if I can put a bandage imprinted with Santa or reindeer on their child. That little touch makes the child feel better, and the owie goes away. I also keep a roll of Peppermint Lifesavers within easy reach. When I talk to many children in six to ten hours, my mouth dries out, and I do not always have water handy. The lifesavers will keep my breath from smelling stale. Moreover, the peppermint aroma makes the child think of candy canes. Tucked inside one of my sleeves is a red or green bandana, to wipe away sweat, or blow a runny nose. I make it appear in my hand as if by magic, as the kids do not see where it came from. It just as quickly disappears.