Surrounded by the many faces of Santa Claus
Edmonton woman adds to her unique collection from all corners of the world
Bernice Gordeyko sits in the living room of her 100-year-old Edmonton home, surrounded by her vast collection of jolly old St. Nicks.
There’s a Cowboy Claus, a furcoated Kris Kringle, even a couple of puppy Pére Nóels that look like Gordeyko’s old English sheepdog, Harley.
“I can honestly say, in the last few years, I haven’t bought many,” she said with a laugh. “Because I have enough! Everybody asks, ‘What are you going to do with all these Santas, Bernie?’ ”
The collection numbers nearly 300 in total, including 200 on her Christmas tree.
“There’s a few favourites that I have. I say my Russia Santa is a favourite,” said Gordeyko, 74, who bought the figurine at the Sochi Olympics in 2014. Like most of her collection, it is a hand-crafted work of art.
“Most of them are very special and handmade by somebody in the world,” she said. “As I travel, I pick up Santas from different countries.”
Gordeyko’s latest addition comes from a recent trip to Finland — one of the 110 countries she’s marked on a map of the world in her study and visited.
“I really enjoy the different cultures of the (countries) I’ve travelled to, how they live and how they celebrate Christmas,” she said.
But Gordeyko especially loves the festive season in North America.
“Everybody seems to get involved in it. The neighbours get involved and people decorate their houses. Some don’t go to the extremes that I do, but people will at least put a set of lights up and decorate a tree and that . ... There’s always some enthusiasm for the Christmas season here.”
Christmas was always an important part of Gordeyko’s childhood. Raised around horses, she would especially enjoy sleigh rides with family. But one of her favourite holiday memories happened when she was living in Montreal.
Unable to come home, she received a letter from her mother a few days before Christmas.
“‘Your Christmas present this year is that I’m sending you your brother,’” Gordeyko fondly recalled the message. Her brother arrived by train and stayed five days.
Gordeyko was born near Camrose and, after a time in Eastern Canada, moved to Edmonton nearly 50 years ago. Forty of those years have been spent in her current home.
“They haven’t put a skinny house here,” she said, chuckling.
Decorating is a passion of Gordeyko’s. She sets up her Santa collection every two years, otherwise opting for a complete red or silver and gold theme.
“I’ve always enjoyed decorating. It comes, I guess, from my mother’s background. She always liked to do a lot of decorating too for all seasons.”
Gordeyko started her collection 40 years ago with her own homemade Santas. She would sell them at craft fairs, before commercially produced decorations became more common.
“Children love Santa ... All we wanted was to see Santa,” she said.
“To me, it was a character that people related to, and most people enjoy going to visit, even as an adult.”
“Or as a pet,” she laughs, looking to Harley sitting at her feet.