MODERN ECCENTRICS SANTAS
IN A WORLD THAT CAN FEEL UNIFORM, INCREASINGLY WE’RE CELEBRATING THOSE a bit HAPPILY DOING THINGS differently. Meet the seriously PEOPLE WHO ARE PASSIONATE about their pastimes. PERHAPS YOU THEY’LL PERSUADE TO something NEW? TRY
Oft longed for, it’s a lucky few who get to met Santa each year. That’s unless you’re Ron Cooper, who has met dozens of them, photographing them for his project We Are Santa.
His interest in all things Claus began when he was photographing Civil War re-enacters, and got chatting to one who also doubled as a professional Santa. Hearing about the Santa Schools that exist in the United States, training aspiring and practising Santas alike, he “was immediately intrigued by the seriousness with which the school’s students pursued the art and craft of embodying Santa Claus.”
Ron’s Santas come from across the States, now often retired, they are former posties and plumbers; surveyors and safety officers, who’ve all received their Santa calling. They’ve all also been photographed by Ron in their usual dress as a record of how they transform from regular citizens into the embodiment of Christmas.
While some may see professional Santas as the commercialisation of Christmas, what struck Ron most was “the dedication, professionalism, commitment, and character of these people.
They are deeply devoted to their mission – to the children they meet, to the integrity of their persona, to the spirit of the season, and to the history and traditions of Santa Claus.” At its very simplest that means learning to communicate with any child (or adult), regardless of their needs or backgrounds, sprinkling the everyday with magic.
So, leave any cynicism behind. The philosophy of the Charles W. Howard school – the oldest Santa School in the United States, founded back in 1937 – underpins what these men put into practice each Christmas, but truly believe all year round: “He errs who thinks Santa enters through the chimney. Santa enters through the heart.”
“THE SPARKS OF WONDER THAT WE CHRISTMAS CREATE MAKE THAT MAGIC LAST A LIFETIME. THERE’S A LOT OF GRAVITY TO THAT”
A WEEK BEFORE Christmas 2006, on an errand for his wife, James Nuckles was recruited by the shopping mall’s Santa. He dismissed the idea at first but eventually reconsidered. “I went to Santa school and came back as a fully-fledged Santa,” he says. A self- described lifelong learner, he still attends Santa school every year.
James has always been dedicated to public service. A retired Army veteran, he’s earned a master’s degree in religious education and is partway through a PhD dissertation. Inspired by the life of Saint Nicholas, Santa James volunteers at local libraries, where he reads to children. “I look on it as a ministry. That’s my reason for being here on earth,” he says. He also visits homeless people in Atlanta’s Woodruff Park, where everyone gets peppermint sticks from Santa.
A heart attack in 1997 shifted his attitude, to one that Santa James embodies. “I pray for people all over this world to come to understand that time is short, and we can’t get overly hateful, overly mad about anything. A hundred years from now, it won’t matter. Just be happy.”
“THE FIRST TIME a three-year-old came running up with his arms out saying, ‘I love you, Santa,’ my heart was so full of love and joy, I thought, ‘I have to do this for these kids.’” Ward Bond found his calling in 2015, after he’d started growing a beard. A friend suggested he’d be a great Santa and loaned him a suit. That spontaneous encounter sealed the deal.
Before becoming Santa, Ward was a carpenter, and he uses his skills to carve distinctive Santa staffs. Ward sees Santa as the “embodiment of hope, love, and joy,” and he takes his responsibilities seriously. “The sparks of wonder we create make that Christmas magic last a lifetime. There’s a lot of gravity to that. It’s an honour to create that memory. Because life changes things. Thirty years from now, when they look back at that photo, they’ll remember.” Santa Ward believes being Santa has helped him show his softer side. “I know what it feels like to need someone to show you that they care,” he says. “That’s one of my driving forces. Santa has open arms and an open heart for everyone who needs it.”
MUSIC HAS ALWAYS been an essential part of Christmas for Santa KJ Braithwaite. He remembers lining up with his siblings to sing carols for the family every Christmas Eve. He’s been singing and playing guitar for 45 years, in addition to his day job as a corporate executive. As Santa, he has woven music into his work. “I keep a ukulele in my bag,” he says. “You never know when you might be able to use it. Music is very much part of the Santa spirit.”
Santa KJ works with his Mrs Claus, Carol, whenever possible. They got their marriage license in 2015, the day before attending Denver’s Professional Santa Claus School together, and then had an all- Claus ceremony when they graduated. A fellow student who was also a clergyman officiated, in front of about 40 Santas in full regalia.
Being Santa and Mrs Claus has had a strong and lasting impact on their marriage, Santa KJ says. “It’s a very big piece of us. And it’s not far off of who we are anyway. We’re respectful of each other, we have the same vision, our humour together is wonderful. It’s sort of cemented us together.”
AFTER RETIRING from his career as a corporate records manager, Thomas Myers wanted to get involved in activities where his beard would be an asset. A storyteller and ventriloquist, he now works yearround as a children’s entertainer. But these are second to being Santa.
He went to his first Santa school in 2003, and continues to regularly attend. Among many valuable lessons, his training taught him how to be a little larger than life. “With the beard, it’s hard for people to see you smiling. Santa’s smile has to be bigger – you have to smile with your eyes.”
Santa Tom sees some children year after year and takes note as they gradually grow less anxious about meeting with Santa. “It’s the ones where you can feel you’re breaking through that mean the most,” he says. The most important thing for him is “Being there with the child in the moment – listening to what they have to say, and just being there for them.”
“THE MOST IMPORTANT THING IS CHILD BEING THERE WITH THE IN THE MOMENT, LISTENING TO WHAT THEY HAVE TO SAY”