Welcome a New Decade

Santa has gone back to the North Pole to rest, so my PS and I go through the ritual 'deshedding' of the character. The suits are cleaned, bagged and stored to be brought out next season. And my PS gets his hair cut and shaves down the beard - the transformation to 'civilian' is complete.

It was a decent season. We had enough bookings to make the transformation (growing in the beard and hair from August - on) worthwhile. I hope we can get back to the number of bookings that we had from 2000 to 2006, but the economy affects everyone. And, of course, our regulars grow up and may not need the reinforcement of a visit from Santa. I still think the adults get more out of the visits, but they usually will not hire a Santa for their own enjoyment - it is 'for the children.'

My PS is a professional, and I really see that aspect on those years when we have personal setbacks, but 'the show must go on.' This has been a hard year for a our little family; financial problems and personal losses. This year we tragically lost four of our cats, and anyone who has loved a pet knows the pain that you feel when these things happen. They had been with us for over 15 years, and their deaths were complications due to their age, but there is that void now. But I saw my PS take to his gigs so nobody would ever know we had to give the final gift that day to one of our 'babies.' I admire that.

The weather was the usual - every year we have at least one gig that occurs during a major snow storm. We send contracts to our bookings, primarily to cover us in the event of a sudden cancellation by the party, and a Force Majeure clause to cover us in case weather or illness causes us to cancel. I wanted to use it this year, as we had a storm that did not have a lot of snow, but a lot of ice on the roads. Ice scares me. But we made it and the gig went well.

Maybe next year more people will use our services. It is a new decade after all...

Princeton Complete

We had a very successful Princeton Tree lighting, at least as far as the public is concerned. As my PS says, "If it ever goes according to the script, it will be a miracle!" So the miracle did not happen this year - try again next year!

This year was different, for me anyway. Usually I wait in the hotel room provided, or try to see the event from the crowd (note the word 'try' - I have not ever been in a good spot to see anything yet). This year my PS convinced me to come down with him and stand in the "VIP" section near the 'stage' entrance. (The 'stage' is actually the patio for the Nassau Inn, which overlooks the quad on Palmer Square.) So did I 'see' anything? Oh, I saw everything - from the back. Still, I got to hear everything and that is more important.

What went "wrong?" According to the script, a family sits next to a fireplace, waiting for Santa, while reading "The Night before Christmas." That was fine, as the 'Mother' and 'Father' actors had that part. But when the little girl was supposed to say her lines, a look came across her face and I really understood what they mean by "a deer in the headlights" look. She looked at the 'father,' opened her mouth and - nothing. She just kept looking at him with her mouth open, appearing to search for help or a way to run off the stage. 'Father' basically said her lines for her, in the form of questions (Do you wonder if Santa is real? Do you wonder if he will arrive soon?)

The audience of a couple of thousand people never knew what was going on, so the recovery was okay. Then my PS arrives and does not know this little girl is oozing flop-sweat, so he says his line, expecting a response (there was none), so now he is filling in her lines. Again, the audience never knows.

Now comes my Santa's moment - lighting the tree. The plan is to get the audience involved, yelling Merry Christmas louder and louder until the third time they yell, the tree lights up - or at least, that is how it works every other year. This year, my PS gets everyone to yell Merry Christmas and tree lights on the first try! Surprise! The guy with the PC controlling everything lost his timing, I guess, so the band and my PS start a rousing chorus of "Oh, Christmas Tree" with the audience. Again, unless the people come every year - and many do - they never knew the timing was wrong. Now the Princeton High School Chorus comes bounding out the door and starts to assemble on stage. Again, not in the script, as they had already entertained the crowd before the vignette. Or, if it was in the script, nobody told my PS! But he recovered, although I heard him say to the choral director "Is there enough room up here?" So the chorus sang two more songs, Santa sang with them and the audience sang along. Again, Surprise!

At this point, I am not sure what is happening. I am standing near the wind ensemble and they were caught off guard by this sudden entrance of the chorus but caught up and played the songs now being sung. The coordinator of this whole thing appears after the two surprise songs, grabs a microphone and announces from behind the chorus that the festivities are over. Surprise again!

The chorus leaves the stage, the musicians pack up and I look to see my PS being overrun by the crowd. They are waving and tugging and hugging and I know he loves it. The coordinator asks me if he will be okay and I told her he will be fine, but I am worried that he could get sick, catch some illness or whatever. So she lunges into the crowd to save my PS after about 20 minutes.

After the ceremonies, there is a little reception inside for the Palmer Square Chamber of Commerce, who sponsor this little soiree. So I go up to the room to wait, as my PS has to "press the flesh."

When he comes back to the room, he is tired, but exhilarated. So I suggest that we walk to one of the restaurants and get dinner - after he removes the Santa suit, of course. As we walk, I see a few people look at my PS as if they know him. Without the suit, he looks like a normal guy with white hair and beard, or as normal as that can be. We had a nice dinner, then come back to the hotel where a young woman is getting her two little children together to go up to the room. Something about the way she looked at my PS, again the recognition of...somebody, but this time the look turned into realization. She knew who he was, she knew he was the guy who just lit the tree, but she did not want to alert her two small children. So she looked at me and without saying a word indicated that she wanted me to help her. I said "Yes, it is." The joy on her face was amazing and she called her husband and was pointing at my PS, saying "Greg, look, just look!" Fortunately, her children never caught on. Adorable.

On the same note, while my PS was waiting to go on 'stage,' many people came up to him and asked for pictures, tell Santa what they want, etc. Those cell phones that take pictures are everywhere! Amazing. Could make a person's head swell, huh?

Another Season

Our first gig is next Friday, the day after Thanksgiving, to light the Tree in Princeton again. We are so glad that they appreciate my Santa; I know he loves to do it. It is a bit of a trek for us, but worth it. I love to see the faces of the people in the crowd as they experience the joy of the season - the 'noise' is happier once the ceremony is complete. For a brief moment, there is more civility. The next day, everything goes back to normal.

We make adaptations because of this season and my Santa's gig. For instance, since he had off from his regular job, we had our Thanksgiving dinner yesterday. We did the whole bit - all that was missing were the parades on TV. This gives us the real Thanksgiving day to pack up and get ready for Princeton, and reduces the stress in case he has to work.

We do not exchange Christmas gifts with each other. Not that we do not feel the spirit, but when we need or want something, we save up for it and buy it when it is on sale. Besides, I hate surprises! So that saves us shopping anxiety for Black Friday as well as the entire Christmas shopping season.

We work up a grid each year now, so we do not wear the same costume two years in a row to our repeat customers, unless they request it. The grid also tells us if we have received the contract back yet, the address for the gig and any other pertinent data. It has become invaluable.

There is a whole coordination of planning each year and it does not get any easier, just more recognition as to what to expect.

The Economy

We have started to get bookings for December, but there is a significant difference this year - the price we can charge. During our peak period in the early 2000's, we could charge a premium and nobody would blink. But starting last year, we had to lower our hourly rate to something approximating what we charged 8 to 10 years ago or we would not get many bookings. Part of the reason is, of course, the economy, but another big reason is moving to an area where people do not earn as much and cannot afford as much.



We used to live near Princeton, NJ, where many of the people who are involved in all the Wall Street shenanigans reside. They could afford to have Santa for a couple of hours at a premium rate. Even Christmas Eve, when we doubled our regular charge, was our busiest day and nobody blinked at the cost. Now, we have moved to the Poconos, primarily to escape the high taxes and cost of living in NJ, but we do not get those bookings anymore. A trade-off, to be sure.



The first year we moved, we made arrangements to continue visits with our regulars, through the kind auspices of one of our friends. Still, that situation gets wearing for the host, having your guest Santa coming and going at all hours and basically 'crashing' at night. Formal niceties can be lost in the hectic pace of coming in, changing costumes and running out the door. We almost lost a good friend.



Now, we confine our NJ visits to one weekend each December, try to book our regulars on the one weekend, then continue to farm new clients up here in the Poconos for the rest of the holidays. It is working out okay this way, with our friend considering that weekend our 'traditional' holiday visit. And we are getting regular customers up here.

After all, Santa is everywhere.

Beard Prejudice

Professional Santas who have a "real" beard are very lucky and very well appreciated, especially monetarily. My PS is one of those lucky guys who has had his beard change naturally to a lovely silvery white as he has gotten older. For a while it had a gray-ish tinge, which we tried to bleach out. That was a trial and a bit of a failure, so we decided that if his personality did not sell the character, then he was in the wrong line of work. Again, he was lucky in that nobody noticed what we thought was a defect - he even had comments about how nice it was to have a real-beard Santa! If you read through some of the Santa blogs, the guys get neurotic about the beard; how long it should be, should it be curled, should they bleach and how to bleach. It wears on a person's mind after a while and causes my PS and I to have long discussions about it. Here are my feelings:*If the beard is white, or close to white, use your own beard. If it is not white, look on-line for a good fake beard, like ones used in all the Santa movies. They are out there, they are expensive, but no worse that constant bleaching of a person's real beard. Beard hair is course and hard to bleach, grows quickly, and the chemicals can damage your face.

*Curling is optional, as Santa is depicted with many versions of the beard. Again, beard hair is course and easily burned, as is your skin on your face. My PS does have naturally wavy hair, so sometimes he will wrap the beard hair around his fingers to give a little curl, but not too much.

*How long? Long enough to look like a beard, not a one-week growth. Take the time to cultivate the beard, with proper trimming and training, and plenty of time to get it right before the holiday season. I read a debate in one of the Santa groups about sleeping with the beard under or over the covers! Please, if it is that long, it starts to look fake again, and a little scary. My PS wears his as long as it covers his collar in the front - in other words, if he wears a bow tie, nobody can tell. Any longer and it gets wire-ry and too bushy.

*People come to see the Santa, not the beard. He needs a beard, but he also needs a winning personality.

But what about the other 11 months out of the year? How does a PS keep the beard and still find work? That has been our dilemma where we live in the Poconos. There is an antiquated viewpoint among many employers around here that a beard means unclean, unkempt, or (horrors!) you are an old Hippie! For an area that boasts many outdoor types, hunters and mountain-type guys, there is a prejudice against facial hair. Three day growths= fine; full beards and it may upset the guests, customers, etc.

Now the real beard is my PS's pride and joy, and his money. To shave it off in order to take a moderate-paying service job, like at some of the resorts up here, or some grocery stores, is just a pity. It is not like he can take off one month before the holiday season in order to grow in the beard! He has gone through the interview process, been welcomed with open arms, about to sign the papers to start work and the HR person has said "Oh, when you report to work, you need to shave the beard." Why? "Company policy." Why? "Sanitary concerns." For working at the front desk? The irony is that 'back-of-the-house' personal all had beards and they were doing the cooking, cleaning, etc. The resort had instituted the policy back in the 1960's as part of the knee-jerk reaction against the culture at that time and had never re-visited that policy. I guarantee you that my PS's beard is cleaner than most people's hair, but it is there and bothers some people - except at Christmas! When asked if an exception can be made, the person interviewing usually says "The beard doesn't bother me, but it is policy, so it has to be done." Frustrating!

My PS finds work, to be sure, but it hurts his pride that people cannot see beyond the facial hair - the rest of the year.

Transition to January

After all the hubbub and glory that surrounds a Professional Santa (PS) in the weeks preceding Christmas Day, there is a bit of a letdown emotionally in the weeks directly after. I know my PS does get a little depressed and misses the excitement, as well as being a center of attention. Personally, I look forward to Christmas Day as being the end of a whirlwind of activity involving getting my PS ready for his gigs. There is a whole logistical review of what costume gets worn to which gig, any repairs and cleaning that has to be accomplished, etc. So getting the costumes cleaned, tagged and put away means the start of a new year. And every year my PS and I have a little disagreement about how soon everything has to end... or start again. It is the different viewpoints that keep our relationship exciting, right?

So we have developed a sort of ritual. We ignore Santa for the week between Christmas Day and New Year's Day - unless by some stroke of luck we have a postponed or late Holiday party that needs a PS. (We have had that happen in previous years; this year, no.) Then we look over all the costumes to see if anything needs a better repair, or if it can be improved to be more 'wearable,' or more showy, then wash, hang to dry and assemble the costumes into storage bags, labeling so we know which costumes are contained within the opaque bags. One room in our house ends up looking like a costume house during this process. Still, we take our time with this part, so the transition is not so jarring - I learned this, after trying for many years, that to rush the process leads to a cranky hubby!

Before the trim, the week between the Holidays

After this, we have to lose the "Old Gentleman," as my PS sometimes calls his character. His beard and hair are now naturally white, so he can resemble Santa all year, but that makes it hard to transition into 'civilian' life. So the beard gets shaved down to a semblance of a three-day growth and his shoulder-length hair gets a major cut. He does the shaving, and I cut his hair (I have a bit of an ability to do this, after years of cutting first my mother's hair, then mine and his.) It is impressive how people react after the transformation. My PS went to his regular job after his normal days off and his co-workers did not recognize him! Shows how we expect people to look all the time, and how we become accustomed to the familiar.

This year, because bookings were down and the season did not have as many highs as usual, I thought I might show some solidarity by cutting my hair off as well. Not as a dramatic a transformation as losing the Old Gentleman, but I think it helped us both to see this year as a new start. (Of course, the weather has been incredibly cold since my decision, and I am not used to my neck being exposed, but that is a personal matter - that is why scarves were invented!)

And Santa will be back soon - the hair and beard will start to be allowed back in August. The cycle, Lord Willing and the creek don't rise, continues...

Missed Opportunities

The weekend before Christmas used to be our busiest weekend. Unfortunately, the economy had different plans, so we actually had no bookings the Saturday before the holiday. We were very surprised, but it gave us an opportunity to relax and catch up with each other after some busy weeks. Around 2 pm that day the phone rang with a desperate man hosting a party that night in a suburb of Scranton and can Santa make a visit? Good thing the weather was decent that day - there were ice storms the day before - so we agreed we could do the gig that night. Out of curiosity, we asked how he found us. He relayed a long and convoluted story that involved the mall Santa getting the flu, then the manager of the mall booth helping the gentleman by finding our advertisement with the local TV classifieds on-line. I do not think my PS knows this manager of the Santa booth, but he might from his mall days - we may never know.

We find the house that night and we also found the enclave of very large mansions that seem to be somewhere in every metropolitan area. This one is near a nationally known golf course (duh!), but we never knew it was there. So through a stroke of luck my PS was doing a gig for a very well connected political family in Lackawanna county. They did not know my PS does stories and songs - they thought they were getting a mall Santa who would just sit there and listen to children's wishes for Christmas. They were very pleased and the gentleman has booked for the Saturday before Christmas for next year. Many of the people at the party were talking about booking my PS next year and took our business cards. This may be the break we have been looking for up here!

The next day we had another Breakfast, as well as a private party for a little girl's birthday. This is the missed opportunity, as we got another snow storm with freezing rain all morning. Too bad we don't have reindeer! Snow is one thing, but ice is scary on mountain roads - or anywhere. We had to cancel both gigs. The Breakfast was no problem, as the restaurant where we had the booking never opened that day. But the little girl... hate to disappoint children.

Every booking, unless they are friends, gets a contract. We have a special clause (no joke) that basically states that nobody is liable if weather or 'Acts of God' prevent an appearance. Good thing, but that does not make up for the little girl...

Escapes and Turn-Arounds

Santa is a mythical creation and should have the power to magically appear and disappear before and after each visit. He is supposedly also able to know all - names, wants, etc. Well, as a Professional Santa, we use some tricks to get the information - 'elf lists,' parental intervention ("Tell Santa about the puppy..."), clues on clothing and the like. But that appearing and disappearing trick is another matter... If a party is in a business, or party room at a restaurant, or something like that - we can call ahead and arrange for a changing/preparation room. Even then, the arrival and departure is tricky; it is all part of keeping the 'magical' aspect of Santa.

This Weekend

The one party was at an Elks Lodge for one of our repeat clients. We packed up at 6 am to drive down to the spot in NJ, but roads were icy around our area, so the trip took longer than the original plan. To expedite matters, my PS wore the fur-trimmed pants to his costume, covered by a big overcoat. (This got some funny looks and some finger pointing when he had to get out to pump gas and get coffee - 6 am, after all!) We arrived with 15 minutes to spare at the gig, but as my PS was getting his gear out of the car, some children started to arrive and walk by the car. Thinking fast, he dove into the back seat and tried to look like part of the clothes laying there. Of course, I did not see the children, so I am talking to the new pretend pile of clothes. Now I am getting looks!

Seeing the coast was clear, we hurried in the front door and into the nearby room set up for my PS to change. Okay, 3+ hour drive = need restroom! We enlisted a nearby child-free adult to escort and maintain a perimeter. (If this is sounding like a military-type operation, sometimes it feels that way!) That pressing matter relieved (sorry), my PS gets ready for his gig and I wait out in the car. Usually, I read or nap; after being up since 5 am - I napped. After the party, my PS calls me on the cellphone and I bring in the change of costume for the next gig, as it is at a private home. We have to wait for all the children to leave before he can escape. Since Santa did not get to eat, I bring in only the pants (with fur trim, of course) and clean shirt so we can get some take-out food for lunch before the next party. So where does he put on the top to his costume? In the private party's garage! We call ahead to the host, who also happens to be a good friend, and ask to have the garage door opened so my PS can change. Good thing our host has a sense of humor, as well as the where-with-all to keep children away from the garage area, which has windows! Who knew?

Did we always have this trouble? Yes, and no. At one time my PS had a Volkswagen Vanagon, which had curtains and was tall enough to partially stand up so he could change. But nothing lasts forever; we still say, 'it ran well, it just did not go anywhere,' after the transmission got messed up! We bought another van, but again, nothing lasts forever... Now we travel in a Toyota Camry - good gas mileage, lousy for changing. The vans were not perfect either - every year there is at least one child who wants to 'see the reindeer' and chases my PS out of the party. Then there is a collaborative effort between parents, other adults and my PS running serpentine so the vehicle is not spotted! (Told you it was like a military thing.)

Turn-Arounds

I am beginning to think that some people assume Santa knows his way anywhere and give us directions that seem clear only to people who live in that area. Or, better still, they say "Same place as Last Year, so you know where it is." Let me say this - assume Santa is old and needs more direction! After all, the real Santa has the reindeer and Rudolf to lead - my PS has me and I do not have any magical powers! However, it is fortunate that my mother at one time went to Bingo at this Elks Lodge and I knew some back streets when we got almost impossibly lost when street signs were missing that were part of the directions. It was a case of "I think this road leads us back to..." and looking for a familiar landmark that has not changed since I was 12 (I will not tell you how many years that would be...)

So we were lucky (did I mention this all took place on the 13th!) - we did the parties, we had our fun, we are driving back to the Poconos when the cellphone rings. It is our good friend from the last party telling us we forgot the Autoharp! We were 30 minutes away already, but we turn around and go back to get it, since my PS has a "Breakfast with Santa" the next morning and that is part of the 'act.' We get home, finally, and hurry to bed - the next day is another 5 am wake-up call!

Princeton Tree Lighting

It is now twenty years that my PS has lit the tree at Princeton Palmer Square. We are proud of that and I think that we should be. But every year I try to watch the lighting, try to scope out a good location for pictures, video, etc. And every year I am overwhelmed by the turnout of people, and how noisy and tall they are. The stage is on the square in front of Nassau Inn - an original building from before the Revolutionary War, so not many modifications can be made to make viewing better. That explained, my PS still makes a spectacular entrance through the tavern's doors and is greeted by the crowd of 10,000.

This year, I think in honor of our longevity, the Nassau Inn gave us a room overlooking the square from the east side - 5 th floor. I finally got to see and, I hope, take decent pictures. (I used my old 35mm camera with a strong zoom, so they have to be developed.) I feel I need to say that the whole program was wonderful. There was a band to perform the Christmas songs, a high school choir to perform carols, and a little family theatre troop to recite "The Night Before Christmas." (As an aside, the original poem mentions smoking - "pipe in his teeth", etc. - we asked that to be left out, but tradition...)

All this was nice, and folksy, etc., but when it comes time for Santa, the crowd goes wild! The merchants association have a 'volunteer' (dressed as Santa) 'arrive' on the roof by shining a spotlight on him, then seconds later, my PS appears. He has the crowd in the palm of his hands, flashbulbs go off, children yell to him - amazing! Then, he says a few things about the songs and stories, but the people are here for one thing - to light that tree! So he has everyone yell "Merry Christmas" once, but, of course, they do not yell loud enough. So he has the crowd yell "Merry Christmas" again and the roar that occurs is truly deafening. I have never heard such a remarkable coordinated bellow. The tree lights up, everyone sings "Jingle Bells" and then they start filing out of the square and side streets, all boisterous and happy and excited. This must be a successful event, as the merchants gear up for it every year and there are many happy faces the next morning - the kind of happy faces that occur when they feel it is a good time to be a store owner.

So my PS does the same thing every year - the two 'attempts' at lighting, the magical appearance, etc. But the crowds would not be there if they did not like it. And this year a line up of children formed at the bottom of the stage to see Santa, give him their lists, tell him their wants, etc. Usually the merchants association wants to wrap up the festivities, pack up the equipment and get back to normal. But this year they waited for Santa to visit with the children. It truly was a magical evening.

Surprise Bookings

My PS was very well liked in our previous home town. We very rarely wanted for bookings and often repeat customers would rearrange their scheduled parties in order to be sure my PS would be the entertainment. I think the most surprising was an entire town's tree lighting was moved in order to have my PS be the one to light the tree! The same town did not want to hear that a blizzard would prevent him from attending the festivities - they sent their fire chief over to our house to drive him over the treacherous roads to light their tree. Could make for an inflated ego, but we are just amazed and humbled.

This year, the same town insisted that we drive the three hours to have my PS light their tree again. So we called some of our repeat customers and asked if they would like to have a Santa visit that weekend as well. While we might have driven that distance for the one booking, it is better to combine trips, save gas, and allow some people who were disappointed with our moving away an opportunity to have a Santa visit. It is amazing to me, but almost all said 'yes' and we have a full weekend of bookings. In addition, a good friend is letting us stay in her guest room - her feeling is that it is a tradition that we stay with her one weekend over each Christmas season. So that worked out.

We are still working on building the reputation in our new home area. This involves the same concepts as any new business - advertising, networking, offering reduced prices, etc. A surprise booking came through a local restaurant - entertaining at the annual dinner for the organization that my PS is a part of during the 'off-season. ' With the current economy, my PS probably picked a bad time to be a realtor, but the association is having a holiday party and my PS is the featured entertainment. And no, they did not realize he is a Professional Santa - good thing, or they might expect him to entertain for free! The whole thing is kinda funny, but it can be considered networking. Or, at least a gig on a Wednesday night.

Bookings

Santa is well known, but the person representing him needs to develop a following. In order to accomplish this, sometimes my PS has to do some 'Good Will' appearances. Generally, we prefer to do our charity appearances with Toys For Tots. The fun aspect of this, aside from helping needy children and seeing the looks on people's faces, is the appearances usually involve motorcycles and/or firetrucks. This is where the little boy in all men tends to come out; the 'when I grow up' aspect. So today my PS is ushering in the season by doing a ride-along on a firetruck with a bunch of bikers and the Marines. How cool is that!

The economy is hitting the Santa business this year hard. Where we would have been booked for most weekends by now, many of our regulars are backing out due to fear of the recession looming or a general lack of funds. We have been lucky over the years, as most of my PS's bookings have been through word-of-mouth and his winning personality, but this year we have to re-double our marketing efforts. The biggest expense in the previous years, besides costumes and their maintenance, has been for business cards and postcards. I design and print them, so the ink and paper costs were biggest part of that, with postage being the third cost. But this year we have to advertise in the local newspapers. We are hoping that this helps us pick up some gigs. If not, there is always the mall!

Costumes

As Ms Claus, I design and construct all of my Professional Santa's costumes. That said, this means that you will rarely see my PS in the traditional red and white jacket and pants, unless requested by the customer. In some cases, in order to maintain a tradition or a 'look,' we have to drag out the red wool and fur. It is hot and has to be dry-cleaned after each use. The dry-cleaning expense is the primary reason I started making the outfits out of machine washable fabrics - that, and if you knew my PS, you would know that 'regular' is not his style.

I believe we get more bookings as a result of the difference in costumes, at least initially. Repeat bookings are due to my Santa's personality and talent. He does not just sit and ask children what they want, ho, ho, ho and all that normal stuff. He sings, tells stories, and involves the whole family in the celebration of the holidays.

Every costume has a personality, such as traditional, old world, fantasy, ethnic - we try to determine what will work best for each visit. (It thrills me to see the movies and TV shows using Santa costumes that show detail and little touches that represent Santa just as a cookie-cutter replica of what we see in print ads and decorations. My personal favorite is "The Santa Clause" costumes, with long fur and brocade and embroidery.) I try to take the time to add special elements, or at least something unexpected. In addition, every outfit has bells sewn somewhere into them, or bells are carried on the belt. Santa has to sound jolly, as well as be jolly!

The Belt

We have a specially made large (4") black leather belt that has "SANTA" stamped across the back. We could have had it inked in a different color or outline, but we think that the shadowy stamp of the letters is just enough. That way there is a back story if anyone asks - "The elves got together to make this belt for me, and I wear it with pride!" We had a hard time finding someone to make the belt for us, but we ran into a leather crafter at a craft show at our local mall. He was thrilled to make it for us and did not charge us as much as I think he could have, but I think he now has a client list of PS's. As he was part of one of those traveling shows that go around the country, we had to wait three months until he came back to town for the final fitting and tweaking, but it was worth it. (This was before the Internet became the place to find all the accessories needed - used to have to physically hunt down the stuff.)

The Boots

The boots were difficult to find at first. We used the boot toppers that come with the purchased Santa suits, but they are flimsy and look fake. A member of our family had bought a pair of motor cycle boots that did not fit correctly, so he offered them to my PS, who took the same shoe size. They had only been worn once, were black and came up high enough to look like real Santa boots! Who would know? Look closely at a pair of 'Harley' boots and a picture of Santa boots and, besides the logo, there is very little difference! Later we purchased some fancy cowboy style boots - for a little flair, and warm snow boots - for those gigs in the cold and snow.

The Fabrics

As I indicated earlier, I try to use only machine washable fabric. I do not dry the costumes (you only do that wrong once), so my PS had to have enough costumes to last two days at least, with three to four gigs per day. So, currently, we have 10 costumes, or 'rigs' as my PS calls them. Each is different and, except for the belt and boots, as its own accessories. They do wear out, so I try to make a new costume each year and donate an old one to charity - there has to be poor Santas somewhere! We have a couple that are made for outdoor wear - all white fur and heavy - but mostly the costumes are light weight to wear indoors, but look rich and heavy. The illusion is helped by good washable fur trim, which we seem to buy up at every opportunity.

All part of the work of being a Professional Santa.

Marketing

It is the end of July, so that makes it the start of Marketing Season! We have to get the word out in our new home area so we can get more gigs up here in North East PA.

We have plenty of work available back in Princeton. Our regular customers have already started calling to book for the 2008 Holiday Season, but we want to establish ourselves up here. That means new business cards and postcards (the postcards work best for local super markets and other stores), contacting local party planners, and taking advantage of every opportunity to get our name out there. My Santa is going on the radio for a 'Christmas in July' gig so he can promote himself. The good thing about this is no suit - and so we do not have to worry about how hot it is!

I try to get a new picture each year, so anyone we gave a card to last year remembers him, and yet it is new! Marketing! We also set up a new web site: visitsfromsanta.spaces.live.com - anything to get the face out there. Marketing! And, of course, since he has the white beard and hair, people see him as Santa all year anyway.

Illness

Santa is supposed to be a mythical type of person, like Mary Poppins, fairies and trolls. Santa is not supposed to get sick, right? Well, after small children sneeze and cough and other things on your mythical persona, illness can occur. The problem is the appointments that you have to keep when you feel like just going back to bed to rest.

My Professional Santa became very ill around Christmas one year and it was scary. The illness was not communicable to the children, thank goodness, but it meant that his resistance to infection was way down. So here is where Ms Claus has to become very involved and help with the scheduling and driving, as Santa was very worn and tired. One gig per day, not the usual 4 to 5 per weekday, up to 8 on weekend days. Eat healthy, drink plenty of water, no chills or over-heating, no dancing - and try not to hold everybody on your lap! But, even with planning and caution, sometimes a bug will get you and that year, it hit my PS hard. We had to cancel a couple of gigs. Except for one family where the woman threatened to sue my PS and yelled and screamed at him on the phone when he explained he was sick - she did not care! I was ready to go over there and talk about poor parenting (bring the illness into the house) and lack of Christmas spirit, but my PS said that he would do the best he could. So we drove over there, to a brand new huge house (these people had real money) and I sat outside while my PS did the gig. He made sure that none of the children sat on his lap, he had the children do most of the singing, and he wished everyone a very Merry Holiday and came out to meet me outside. The father walked my PS out, apologized and doubled My PS's normal fee. Still, it was a very scary Christmas for me and I thank God we lived through it to perform bigger and better the next year!

Incidents and Accidents

The Professional Santa expects some aspect to go wrong sometimes; the best that can be done is to prepare, and then work up contingencies. Pulling on beard = expected, child sneezing on you = expected, child has 'accident' of one form or another = expected. But some things can be totally out of left field and you have to react quickly.

Best example that we have is the time my PS was touring the shops of a town gig when a guy comes up and says something like "Santa, I got the stuff (okay, another word for 'stuff')." At this point the guy opens his coat and shows my PS a bunch of, presumably stolen, jewelry, watches, etc. But my PS was cool and saw the local policeman walking by, so my PS puts his arm around the guy's shoulder and guides him over to the police officer, telling the officer that he may wish to 'discuss' an important matter with this guy. Turned out the guy had arranged to 'fence the goods ' with a Santa in another town. Shame on that other Santa! Oh, and what a stupid crook!

Another time while working at a mall, which my PS avoids now if he can, a little boy, about 3 years old, saw Santa in the holiday display on the lower level, 30 feet below in what is normally the fountain area. The boy was so excited, he started to climb over the glass railing from his stroller and was close to the top of the railing when my PS saw him. His mother was distracted, all this took place in a matter of moments, but the possibility for disaster was very real. My PS excused himself from the little girl on his lap, ran to the middle where the escalators were and yelled up in a big, booming Santa voice "Get down from there or Santa will not come to your house for Christmas." He never dropped character, and he knew he would never be able to get to the child in time, nor would anyone else unless they saw the boy at that moment. The boy did get down, the mother scooped him up and thanked my PS profusely. My PS then finished with the child who he had put down, asked for time to 'feed the reindeer' and went for a break to stop shaking - this had really scared him!

Same gig at the mall, another day during the week, a little girl was playing in the Santa area. Everyone thought she was waiting for her mom to catch up, but after 30 minutes, Santa asked her where her parents were. The little girl replied that 'Mommy told her to wait here' - in effect, using the Santa people as an unpaid baby-sitter! When 'Mommy' showed up, my PS told her that she cannot do that, that liability issues could be involved, not to mention abandonment and that the next time it happened, the state social services would have to be called. Turned out that she had done this before, with the other Santa's, but none of the others had really noticed. In addition, she was having an afternoon affair with one of the employees in one of the mall stores. Wow!

All we can say is, be prepared!

End of Season

The last few days before Christmas are very hectic for the Professional Santa. It appears everyone wants a good PS at their party as close to the actual holiday as possible. This year with Christmas day on a Tuesday many people has a long weekend, so this year was very busy for us.

In addition, my PS recorded a radio commercial for his regular - off-holiday job at a restaurant here in the Poconos. They tried out a 'Dinner with Santa' on Christmas Eve. Turn out was decent, but they waited too long to advertise so many people had made other plans.

We have referred to this year as our building year, since we just moved up here from NJ last year. It takes time to build a reputation and a following when you first start out as a Santa. After all, people think there is nothing to it, just put on a suit and a beard and all, as I have said in previous posts. The people who booked us up here this year were impressed and plan to have us back next year.

This leads me to another point - marketing yourself as a PS. Always carry your business card, which should have a good picture of you in the full suit. Do not be reticient to hand a card out if someone makes the comment that you look like Santa. Make sure businesses in your area have your information early, as most plan their holiday promotions starting in July, then follow-up with a contact person around September. Be prepared to be included in promotional flyers,a nd make yourself available to get photos taken, record copy, etc. And, yes, keep the suit available in July for 'Christmas in July' sales. (We have a lightweight red cotton suit for just this type of gig - looks Christmas-y, but not as hot.) My PS has the real white beard that he trims back after the holiday, but still has a Santa look. If you have a real beard and can take it, try to keep it all year - it will help with bookings.

Packing up

There is so much more to getting to a gig than just personal hygiene and putting on a Santa suit. The preparation takes planning - what suit should be worn where, are extra gloves packed, is a Santa sack needed. In our case, because my PS plays the Autoharp at his gigs, keeping the instrument in tune. We were handed a surprise last night when the 'harp' broke. Strings are one thing, but one of the bars that holds the strings cracked. So a couple of hours were spent gluing, re-stringing, and repairing. It works, but what to do if it did really become nonfunctional? Yes, he could play a guitar, but it does not have the same punch that the Autoharp does. Still, we would do whatever has to be done.

Things to remember when packing up - safety pins, suspenders, extra Santa Hats, breath mints, powder. Like I said, be prepared. If I accompany my PS to gigs, which I will do if there are many together and he may get tired, I try to bring reading material and a flash light. The trick is to not look like I am 'casing the joint,' and try to be unobtrusive.

Princeton

As I write this, we are getting 6 to 10 inches of snow. Appropriate for Christmas, but can be miserable for getting to a gig. But more on that later. The Lighting of the Christmas Tree in Princeton, NJ went wonderfully well. Ten to fifteen thousand people all watching my PS, as well as a band, dancers - a great show! This year there was a script with elves played by the local high school thespians and more lights than ever. Beautiful night, cool, not too cold. After leading the crowd in the counting down to the lighting, Santa leaves and all the spectators go about the real business of Christmas = Shopping! But this year several families followed Santa off stage to tell him how much they enjoyed the show and to get pictures with Santa. This is the first time in the over ten years my PS has been doing the tree lighting that this has happened!

Now, what does Ms Claus do during all this? I hide in the hotel room and watch the festivities from the window. Not that I do not have the Holiday Spirit, but I know my PS - he needs to keep his mind on what he is doing and not have to worry about me in the crowd. Besides, I have noticed that sometimes he drops character around me, and we cannot have that happen!

Rules to Becoming a Professional Santa

I am sure that a person does not wake up one day and say to themselves 'I am going to be a Santa - and get paid for it too!' At least, I hope not. Usually a person who becomes a PS (Professional Santa) may volunteer to be the family's Santa, or be volunteered at work because of a "look" - and that is not always a fat belly. Sometimes there is a charm in that person's eyes that shows a love for life/children/the season, whatever. But a good PS starts out with that and can work from there.

There are rules and you may think the first rule is to love children. My opinion is the first rule is to love people in general. As I say, "children remember you, but adults never forget you." And adults around a good PS become children again - that is something to behold!

Second rule - make a good impression in the entrance. In the role as a PS arrive with confidence, knowing you have the opportunity to bring joy to the people who see you. If you have any confusion, or fear, do not show it. The magic of Santa is he can take control and handle any situation.

Which leads to the third rule - Preparation! Make sure you are clean, the suit is clean, everything is fastened and adjusted. In addition, make sure you arrive on time to the gig to get any last minute information such as where to enter, how much time you have, names of children, etc. Bring extra anything that may break, rip, get dirty, etc. That includes gloves, pants, hats, belts, suspenders, boots or boot covers. And double check your breath and 'pits' - bring mouthwash, or mints and deodorant. Matter-of-fact, my PS does not eat any garlic or onions for the whole month of December, just to be sure.

Rule four is to Expect the Unexpected. People may see you in the 'rig' outside of the event or party, so work up some answers for the questioners. Or a child may kick too hard, so learn to take a hit (or wear 'protection.') And, of course, the beard pull. If you use a fake beard, make sure it is tight and watch the hands of your children - or adults who act like children.

These are the basic rules. There are more, but each situation leads to new guidelines. I will go into more detail in another post. I also will be filling you in about our adventures in PS world this year, starting with the tree lighting in Princeton. See you soon.

Ms Claus

Thanksgiving

November 22, 2007

Thanksgiving to a Professional Santa (PS) is the real start to the busy season. Some PS's work this day, particularly for parades (think Macy's). Can be a grueling day, but very exciting and rewarding.

In our case, the day after the holiday is very big, for it means lighting the tree in Princeton, NJ. Last year the count was 10,000 people watching one guy in a red suit turn on a tree. But it is much more than that - choirs singing, bands, getting the crowd to count down to the moment of the tree lighting. The people who run this show in Princeton know that having Santa there brings the crowds - and the money.

And we can honestly say that the real start for this PS was working in Princeton. It started almost 20 years ago being the weekend Santa walking around Palmer Square in the costume from A Christmas Carol - the Ghost of Christmas Past. That costume was a very authentic and heavy, being all fur and so long that it swept the ground. If it was a warm winter day, it was unbearably hot. If it rained, it dragged. If it snowed, well, that was okay - warm and cozy. Speaking as Ms Claus, this when I realized that my Santa needed lighter weight costumes, or at least a selection for the weather conditions.

Anyway, the people who had hired him liked how my Santa handled crowds and customers and offered to let him light the tree the next year. How wonderful, as my Santa loves being the center of attention. That first year he did not come down off that high for a week! And he still gets excited about this event.

So we are making the three-hour drive down to Princeton again tomorrow. We have moved away from NJ this year, but there is a commitment to go back. It is supposed to be clear and cold and possibly snowy - perfect!