I know this is confirmation bias, but growing up, a few days/weeks before Christmas I’d see a real life Santa Claus around town. It was never more than one guy, just this one particular guy. My friends saw him too and we’d talk about the real life Santa.
I may have seen at other times of the year (but never immediately after Christmas) but I’d see (at least notice) him more around Christmas.
Edit: It’s not like he grew his mustache and beard just for the season since, as fair as I could tell, it was real, full length.
There’s a guy I spotted a week ago at the supermarket parking lot driving around on a maroon-and-offwhite motorcycle, fully decked out in Santa gear. I briefly talked to him, and it looks like he just goes out for the fun of it and plays Santa around town (not paid or anything.) Is this the kind of Santa you’re talking about?
I’m an overweight old guy with an unkempt, bushy, white beard. I get the Santa thing fairly commonly in December. Yes, your kid can tell me what she wants for xmas, but understand that I’ll promise her she’ll get that pony she wants this year.
Your brother is wrong. It’s the Easter Bunny that’s not real! :smack: I know Santa’s real because the Tooth Fairy and The Great Pumpkin told me so…at least that’s the I think the voices in my head said!
I went to a Christmas party at his house last Saturday.
Not only is Santa real, but he lives in a house with his husband, his husband’s boyfriend, and one or two other guys, the status of whose relationships I’m not quite clear on.
When the lil’wrekker was a wee lass we were in the line at the grocery store. Behind us was a very short guy (older man) with a full white beard. She started clinging and whining. I asked her what her issue was. She pointed to the man. He laughed. She screamed bloody murder. I removed her and my buggy from the line. I got her to quit crying after a minute. I asked for an explanation of the tears and noise. She said she didn’t know Santa was a little boy.:smack:
Years ago (~2005) Mrs. Homie and I were at Walt Disney World, and there, having lunch at a table near ours in the Germany restaurant, was a guy who looked for all the world like Santa Claus – fat, jolly smile, thick white beard and hair – albeit dressed more like a tourist and less like Santa. Our server told us that he’s a local annual passholder, beloved by guests and cast members alike, and that he hangs out around Epcot every day. Around Christmas, our server said, he’s besieged by children wanting pictures, to which he happily obliges.
I did some digging around on Disney message boards and it turns out that he was, at the time, something of a well-known figure around the parks. There were rumors that management even had to talk to him about maybe toning things down a bit, as Disney really doesn’t like guests stealing the show.
I doubt the guy’s still alive. He looked to be about 75-80 when we were there, and that was a solid 15 years ago.
In my past I have actually been a Mall Santa and currently I do several churches and some paying corporate gigs. I have several of my own suits and a couple elfing friends when I need one. I have also not eaten out at any place that allows children since before Thanksgiving since even without the hat and suit I can’t avoid some kid looking at me and ------ me getting THAT look. Come January 1 the mustache goes bye-bye and the beard gets re-done in more an Amish style and I am pretty much safe until next October when I start reshaping it and growing out the mustache again.
Children are odd. I am a Santarchist and early December when we hit the streets in herds the kids realize something is up and we’re just goofy adults. But solo there are a fair number of us who go into hiding. I’m basically bald, I don’t wear the Santa Glasses all the time, and in street clothes I don’t think I have the right look – but kids do. So you just play avoid as best you are able.
If you mean a fat, jolly-looking man with wire-rim glasses, white hair, a (real) bushy white beard, a twinkle in his eye, and a penchant for dressing in red, then yes. My brother-in-law is one. He even has a Santa suit and has played Mr. Claus as a volunteer at schools, in parades, and so on. I met another at the auto shop a year or two ago, when he was getting his [del]sleigh[/del] truck repaired. This guy worked professionally part-time as a mall Santa and did private functions for pay. He wasn’t dressed in his suit when I met him, so he looked like he was trying (not very convincingly) to pass incognito.
As soon as my hair and beard turn from salt-and-pepper to white, and if I let the beard grow bushier, I think I’ll be able to pass for one myself.
A few years ago I was at a Cracker Barrel having a late breakfast. My companion had finished her food and gone out to have a smoke, so I was sitting alone working on the last of my eggs and pancakes. I’m heavyset with a greyish-white beard and brown hair and wear metal-rim glasses. At some point I noticed that a young boy at the next table was staring at me, then whispered something to his mother (who was sitting with her back to me). She turned and looked at me, then leaned toward me and whispered “he thinks you’re Santa Clause”. I smiled and went into “jolly old St Nick” mode, talked to the kid about being sure he behaved. Then I finished my meal and left.
The guy I used to see was dressed in casual street clothes, probably an aloha shirt since I’m in Hawaii. He didn’t have the rosy red cheeks or nose, but he just seemed like a real life Santa with a friendly smile. As I said, I’ve seen him a few other times during the year, but really noticed him only before Christmas.
Maybe things were different because of the times (early to mid 60’s) or because it’s Hawaii, but there weren’t people who looked or dressed up as Santa around town. The only store Santa was at Sears and as far as I was concerned, when I sat on his lap, he WAS Santa incarnate for that moment, even though my parents told me he was just a helper. The only other time I saw Santa was during the Christmas parade that passed right outside my house. He’d toss candy and I’d scramble to pick them up from ground. Hmm…do they still do that? Five second rule!
We even had Santa’s reindeer visit for a while. Not everyone was there, but definitely Rudolph, though with no red nose. They were in a chilled room and again, for that moment when I saw them, they WERE from the North Pole! Yep, I was a highly delusional kid!
This is so funny and spot on. I was at a Sing Along Messiah last night and I pointed out a round white-haired fellow belting some seriously good singing in the Tenor section wearing a blue puffy vest to my child, and said “Kris Kringle is in disguise up there.” Then this guy turned around a couple of minutes later and holy smokes, small gold rimmed glasses, respectable white beard… I hope he was making bank in some gigs this time of year as he was the most iconic image I’ve ever seen.
And it doubled my interest in about 20 years of getting a prime Santa job myself!
One of my best friends is one. He is great with special needs kids. Its funny, we do a swim party and has this big red old fashioned swim suit so kids can swim with Santa.
