‘I feel like the real thing’
Adjusting for COVID-19 regulations, 87-year-old Danbury-area Santa hopes to receive drive-by visitors on Christmas Eve
For 55 years, nothing has stopped Jerry DeJulia from going door-to-door as Santa Claus on Christmas Eve, first in the Danbury area, and more recently in his Florida winter home.
But this year’s COVID-19 public health emergency has been unlike any crisis anyone has ever seen, including, DeJulia.
Health agencies have set tight limits for gatherings and casual faceto-face contact this holiday season, especially for someone in Santa’s age group.
So, for the first time since 1964, the 87-year-old father of three will not ring his antique sleigh bells at the homes of wide-eyed kids on Dec. 24, or wave to grinning parents from their front lawn as he “trots” in his boots through the snow to the next home on his route.
Instead DeJulia will sit outside his Brookfield home in his Santa suit for one hour on Christmas Eve, and wait for the kids to come to him.
“After about 10 years of doing this on Christmas Eve, I would be getting all dressed up in my boots and my suit and my makeup, and I would say to myself, ‘I feel like the real thing,’ ” DeJulia said. “Because I know how to make them believe.”
DeJulia laughs when asked if he has a certificate from Santa school, or if he belongs to the New England Santa Society. No. He hasn’t even taken a Santa oath, except perhaps to never charge families for preserving their children’s innocence.
DeJulia is a self-taught Santa, who made visiting arrangements with families each Christmas Eve through word-of-mouth and an occasional advertisement in The News-Times.
“In the beginning, I was a horrible Santa. I didn’t know you had to have suspenders,” said DeJulia, who grew up playing baseball in Danbury and made his living as a shipping clerk after his tour with the U.S.Navy. “My pants fell down three times in front of the kids, and they said, ‘Oh, you’re not Santa.’ But I was determined.”
What kept DeJulia going for 40 years in the Danbury area as his routes grew to 50 homes in a night was being a highlight of each family’s Christmas Eve tradition.
To this day, he can tell you the first and last names of scores of parents from decades ago, because of the magic DeJulia helped make on that indelible night.
There was one Christmas Eve where DeJulia was determined to do right by parents he let down when he showed up late, after the kids had gone to bed. DeJulia arranged with the father to awake the kids and bring them to the top of the steps while DeJulia positioned himself between the fireplace and the Christmas tree.
“I was arranging the presents under the tree with my bells jangling and they were laying down watching me through the banisters,” DeJulia says. “I looked up at them and in a strong Santa voice said, “What are you kids doing out of bed? If you don’t go back to sleep, I’m going to leave
and not come back.”
Off the children ran with the delightful shine of wonder in their eyes.
There were also moments of enduring sadness on Christmas Eve.
“I asked one little boy who was eight ‘What special gift do you want Santa to bring you?’ And with tears coming out of his eyes he said, ‘All I want is my sister to get well,’ ” DeJulia said. “And that made me have tears in my eyes, because I couldn’t answer him.”
For DeJulia, the son of Italian immigrants who grew up near the South Street Elementary School, the tradition of playing Santa dates to 1955, when he was roped into the role for an office party. DeJulia accepted, but he was so nervous when he put on the beard and buckle that he did something he never does. He took a drink.
Six of them.
“I was trotting around, and I fell down and everyone laughed,” DeJulia said. “(The boss) said ‘Santa’s going to have to back to
the North Pole. He’s feeling a little under the weather.’ ”
In time, DeJulia got used to the suit. Once he got hooked on the smiles of appreciative families, he never looked back.
He took his Christmas Eve act into retirement in Florida, where he continued the tradition another 15 years, driving around in a decorated golf cart.
This is DeJulia’s first winter back home, and his first Christmas Eve where he won’t be the one ringing the doorbell.
Families may drive up to see
DeJulia dressed as Santa on Christmas Eve from 5 to 6 p.m. in front of his home, 11 Essex Court, Brookfield.
“When I would get back on Christmas Eve and I was done, you don’t know how proud I felt,” DeJulia said. “Instead of falling asleep I would lay there thinking about all the exciting times that I had, because all I ever wanted was to see the kids smile and believe.”