Illustration by Drew Shannon
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I graduated from the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School with a diploma and all the enthusiasm of an 8-year-old boy on Christmas morning. My wife had sent me there to tap into my “inner Santa” and in the years since I can say the chance to play Santa has been transformative. It’s a gift I can never repay her.
In preparation for that adventure, I grew a long white beard, which is not a huge accomplishment, given that I am in my mid-70s. (Now, in the off-season, I keep my beard a manageable length, which doesn’t draw much attention. However, as the summer months approach, I let my beard grow. By October, the look is perfect, and I became the target of knowing smiles, nods and the occasional wink.)
I have read everything I could about the history of Santa Claus, known by countless names over the centuries such as Kris Kringle, Father Christmas and Sinterklaas, to name just a few. I have come to know him simply as “Claus.”
At the beginning, against all odds, I managed to get work as Santa. I won’t tell you where because this would erode the mystery – besides, Claus is part of the larger unknown. I believe that the spirit of Santa is inside all those who embrace his message of peace and understanding. It is an internal state, not the person.
If you go back far enough, you find that the story of Santa Claus actually had a rather sinister undercurrent when children were expected to be “good” at all costs, risking corporal punishment or worse. The emphasis was always on blind obedience, not on the generosity of spirit you could show others.
The threat of punishment has been toned down over time, however, some remnants remain as in the refrain “naughty or nice.” I think we can do better – in fact, we should change this message and where better place to start than with Claus?
The world that Claus (and I) enter in 2023 is a tough one: major wars are being fought, reaping untold misery on the innocent. Closer to home, many families are facing food insecurity. Mental health problems among children and adolescents are increasingly being observed during and after the pandemic, leading to significant health care concerns, which I suspect have only just begun.
Claus has one fleeting moment to convey a message of hope, respect and belonging. The tired phrase “naughty or nice” has no place in a world immersed in the politics of division, where there is relentless pressure to “pick a side,” “join a team” and look out after your own self-interest.
Representing Santa Claus is a community service. I see this as a rare opportunity to move public discourse, especially involving children, in a more positive direction. As Claus, I have met countless children and their families, along with adults, for which Christmas holds a special place in their hearts. For many, the season prompts thoughts of a time long gone, when life was less stressful and the warmth of human contact more abundant. Others, struggle in the present and worry about the future.
I am routinely stopped on the street, in stores or on public transit given my resemblance to the magical seasonal figure. On these occasions, I am asked for a selfie or short video for a child at home or loved one. Perhaps more surprising to me is that people I encounter want to talk or share a glimpse into what the Christmas season means to them.
In one case, a supermarket cashier was brought to tears as she talked about her memories of Christmas as a child. On another occasion, a school bus stopped beside me at a traffic light. As if on cue, all the kids came to my side of the bus, rolled down their windows, and broke into a spontaneous rendition of Jingle Bells.
Perhaps the most poignant of all was an instant in which a child told me that his mother had died and this was to be his first Christmas without her, or the child of an immigrant family who promises to work extra hard at school to help her family get “their papers” so that they can stay in Canada.
My conversations with children do not include questions such as, “Have you been good?” or “What do you want for Christmas?” I ask them to tell me how they have been kind to others or what can they do next year to help someone. The emphasis is not on what they can get, but on what they can give. Every child, regardless of their circumstance can always give of themselves and we as adults need to reinforce that message.
All this may sound rather naive, but Santa Claus serves as a reminder that the world needs more compassion. Ask the little ones in your life this Christmas season what they can do for others.
The most frequently asked question I hear when playing Claus is: “What do you want for Christmas, Santa?”
All I say in return is, “I want you to be kind, nothing more … that is enough.”
Glenn French lives in Toronto