PREPPING FOR SEASON
He’s got a special diet and goes to great lengths not to disappoint kids
Santa Claus (name withheld to protect believers) gets his beard bleached by Chantal Chapman at Bourbon Barbershop in preparation for the Christmas season in Saskatoon on Nov. 9.
More than 250,000 unique citizens make up Saskatoon. StarPhoenix photographer Michelle Berg and reporter Stephanie McKay share the many different ways people in the city live, work and create in The People Project, a monthly photo and video series.
He may have a lengthy naughty or nice list to check at least twice, but Santa’s to-do is a lot more involved than deciding between a toy or a lump of coal.
One Saskatoon St. Nick (name withheld to protect the believers), has a strict set of rules he adheres to in order to make sure local children get the most magical Santa experience possible.
Santa avoids coffee, strongsmelling foods like cabbage, peanuts in case any children are allergic and averse to strong scents. He also avoids eating saucy foods like spaghetti to keep his beard in pristine condition.
He remembers one visitor commenting that he didn’t smell like Santa.
“I said ‘Why?’ and she said her uncle played Santa one year and he smelled like whiskey. Well, Santa doesn’t drink.”
Santa also takes great care to keep his beard perfectly maintained.
Every year, he visits Bourbon Barbershop in Saskatoon to get ready for his appearances. The process, which includes bleaching and trimming, is an ordeal, but it’s worth it.
“I’ll do anything to make myself look very presentable for the children,” he said.
The local Kris Kringle has visited with thousands of children, having worn the red suit every holiday season since the late 1980s. As a boy, he even played Santa in his Grade 4 Christmas play.
Today, he can be seen at the Saskatoon Farmer’s Market and Midtown Plaza, as well as at events in Pike Lake, Vanscoy, Delisle and Rosthern.
The Santa life is a family business. Mrs. Claus keeps him organized and helps him recall some of the memories he’s created playing Santa. She’s also his No. 1 fan, quick to comment on how patient, generous and kind he is.
His chief elf, who he lovingly calls Mistletoe, has been with him since she was nine years old. More than 20 years later, he can’t imagine doing things without her.
“We work in very good harmony together,” he said.
Even as a veteran Santa, he admits he gets a bit nervous before every appearance. He never knows what children will say or what they will ask. Still, he’s got a quick answer for most. How many elves does Santa have? Why, 2,975 of course.
His favourite part of the experience is seeing children’s faces.
“They come up to me and they’re so excited. They run up to me with such exuberance,” he said.
And he has good news for any children who might worry about their naughty or nice status.
“I think it would have to be a very horrendous, bad thing that they did to be on the naughty list,” he said. “So far, I have not had one child on my naughty list.”
Know someone who would make a good subject for the People Project? Email your suggestions to mberg@postmedia.com.