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Missing a View from the Chair

December 18th, 2023 by Kenneth Abrahams

There it hangs, still wrapped up in the plastic from the dry cleaners. As the sun hits it, the red fur glistens while the white fur appears almost pristine, like a new fallen snow. Next to it sits my bag complete with boots, gloves, makeup kit, suspenders, and of course my bells. This will be one of few years, over the last 47, that I will not don the suit and take my place in a Santa chair ready to welcome kids of all ages onto my lap. For some, playing Santa is a job. For me, it is a delight. There is something magical about playing that “right Jolly Old Elf”.

There are a number of reasons that I will not be putting the suit on this year. Less people seem to be hiring Santa’s for parties as more and more events at this time of year are Holiday Celebrations or Winter Fests, and not Christmas Parties. For many academic institutions and businesses, getting rid of the Christmas name is more inclusive. For those that still hire Santa there seems to be a growing fascination with real beard Santa’s, although for the life of me I can’t understand why. Santa is there for the kids, especially the ones that still believe. They are not there trying to prove that Santa isn’t real. Instead, it is just the opposite, they want to believe that he is real and very magical. That particular group doesn’t know the difference between a real beard and a fake one. Perhaps it is jealousy on my part because I am doubtful that I could grow that full, rich beard that Santa needs. Truth be told even if I could, I wouldn’t commit five months of the year growing my facial hair out for 2 or 3 weeks’ worth of jobs. We are also still a bit shorthanded and for better or worse I know how to do just about all the programs we offer, so there are times when I am needed elsewhere.

All that aside, I am still a bit melancholy about it. No time was spent on the internet pouring over articles about the hottest toys. Absent were the walks through toy stores or toy departments to truly learn about the toys that kids were most likely to ask for. Gone from my to do list was the annual chore of trying to get the spirit gum cap off the bottle. Can somebody please explain to me how that thing gets stuck so tight and yet I can’t get it to solidly hold my beautiful fake beard to my face. Even though I bought brand new Santa socks this year, they will not be worn under my fur topped boots. There is no need to wash the shorts I wear under the suit or perhaps get a new long sleeve white shirt, so my arms aren’t bare. My beard and wig won’t need to be washed, dried, and combed out. Those tasks don’t need to be performed so in theory I should have more free time and less to worry about.

That, of course, is not the case, there is always something to fill the void, but still I am saddened by not being in the chair. Santa is lucky, for the most part, he gets to see kids and, at times their parents, at their best. There is no feeling in the world like seeing a young child run headlong into your open arms, jump into your lap, and throw their tiny arms around your ample belly. Seeing that look of wonderment cross their face is a sight like no other. There is something magical about having a conversation, in quiet tones, about their special list. When a child is sitting there discussing what is going on in their lives, it’s as if the rest of the world simply melts away. Conversations are about what is going on at home and school, not just what toy they wish to see on Christmas morning. The delight I feel when the child is walking away with mom and/or dad and saying, “that was really him, that was the real Santa” is genuine.

Even the heart wrenching conversations with a dismayed child that has just lost a pet or family member are still amazing. No, there is nothing I can do to bring that person back but for a minute or two I can provide a warm, comfortable lap and some soothing words. Almost as rewarding is getting that little boy or girl who has seen countless Santa’s during the season and is terrified by each and every one of them to sit with me long enough to grab a photo. Some even smile and a few of them are comfortable enough to snuggle up and hang out even after the photo has been snapped. You can see the joy on a parents face when they realize that they will actually get that precious, non-screaming photo to put on the mantel this year. Unlike some people who play the role, for me the conversations and the time spent with each child is far more important than the picture. It takes a bit of skill and a few years practice to figure out how to give each child attention and still keep the line moving.

Just to be clear, there are aspects of playing the part I don’t miss. Teenagers who like to harass you and yank your beard off. Yes folks, those tears in my eye are real as there is just enough beard clinging to my face that the quick yank does, in fact, hurt. In the past, I had a parent roar with laughter at an event as his two sons pushed past the rest of the line and took turns kicking my shins. Not only did it hurt, but the look on some of the faces of kids in line was heartbreaking. Having to try and figure out how to position a toddler with a soaking wet diaper on my lap so that I don’t get the next 3 or 4 kids in line soaked is always an interesting challenge. Fortunately, the good interactions far outweigh the bad.

Yes, I will miss my view from the chair. There will be no high fives from kids. No parents will discreetly give me a knowing nod or a thumbs up as I ascertain what is truly on the list. After all, as far as the kids are concerned the only one that really needs to know what is on the list is Santa. There will be no belly laughs when something truly funny is said in my presence (I am not a big fan of the old Ho, Ho, Ho). Christmas will still come this year. As most years, it will be filled with joy, but it will be a little harder for me to get in the spirit. Merry Christmas to all and to all a good night.

About the author

Ken Abrahams started playing Santa in 1976 at the age of 16. His first “gig” was at the nursing home his sister worked in. He thought it was a stupid idea as Santa is for kids, but the residents loved it. There was pure joy in their eyes as he wandered down halls and into rooms. Over the course of his career, he has been flown to a holiday party in a helicopter, arrived on the top of a fire truck (getting up and down on that was never easy), ridden in on a mechanical reindeer and made a grand entrance on a scooter. It is a role he relishes.

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