# Santa Family Reunion **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [April 19, 2023, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santa-family-reunion/982888 "2023-04-19T04:00:29Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 6\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2023, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santa-family-reunion/982888/1 "2023-04-19T04:00:29Z")
So my bridge partner and I are playing in a tournament in Gatlinburg Tennessee and we kept noting all these large white bearded older men walking around the streets. Like a lot of them. Turns out there is a Santa Convention going on at the Center next door. I so want to attend but it seems you have to send them a picture first to see if you qualify to register. Sigh. No white flowing beard here. So which seminar are you disappointed to be missing? > **[2023 AGENDA](https://www.santafamilyreunion.com/2023-agenda)** > > default description ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2023, 2:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santa-family-reunion/982888/2 "2023-04-19T14:08:13Z")
Gatekeeping in the Santa scene cracks me up for some reason. ---
**Author:** ![Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/b4bc9f/32.png) [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ulf_the_Unwashed)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2023, 2:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santa-family-reunion/982888/3 "2023-04-19T14:51:45Z")
I love the instructions at the bottom for signing up for the newsletter–real first name and real last name ONLY, no “Santa” or “Mrs. Claus” or “Elf.” I also like the statement “We had many emails undeliverable do to spelling errors, Spam blockers, and Filters.” (Due tell.) On a more serious note, I thought the “Santa’s Heart” workshops on dealing with kids who are neurodivergent, Deaf, or “dealing with Death, Grief, & Bereavement” sounded useful and interesting and I would like to be a fly on the wall for those. ---
**Author:** ![Ponderoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponderoid/32/19221_2.png) [@Ponderoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponderoid)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2023, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santa-family-reunion/982888/4 "2023-04-19T16:01:19Z")
> [@Ulf\_the\_Unwashed](#): > > On a more serious note, I thought the “Santa’s Heart” workshops on dealing with kids who are neurodivergent, Deaf, or “dealing with Death, Grief, & Bereavement” sounded useful and interesting and I would like to be a fly on the wall for those. Hmm and the gatekeepers think the santas who regularly don a fake beard every xmas season shouldn’t benefit from workshops like these? ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2023, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santa-family-reunion/982888/5 "2023-04-19T17:25:10Z")
I imagine someone whose job it is to spot fake whiskers guards the door. Santas are all leaving today, and sadly no parade for 2023. But I will try and keep Christmas in my heart all year. ---
**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\ **Post date:** [April 19, 2023, 9:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/santa-family-reunion/982888/6 "2023-04-19T21:57:05Z")
Talked to a Santa who was loading his truck that had a towed wagon behind. He said the convention had 600 Santas this year. This did not include the many (long-suffering?) Mrs. Clauses. The jolly white-bearded guy’s wagon was filled with a bunch of fake holiday greenery and had a large upside down plastic reindeer stowed in the middle, feet sticking up. I imagine on the highway this looks like a hunter returning with a trophy.