WHEN the opportunity arose late last year to take on the role of Santa Claus at a local shopping centre, three words immediately came to mind – Ho, Ho, Ho!
Or is that one word three times?
Anyway, that doesn’t matter – the point is that I was excited at the opportunity to star as the jolly bearded fellow in the fancy red suit.
Not everyone’s resume includes a stint as Old Saint Nick, so I grabbed the chance with white-gloved hands.
And I’m delighted that I did, as it was a once-in-a-lifetime role.
Well, at least twice-in-a-lifetime as it turns out, because I’ll be back hopefully “sleighing it” again this festive season.
But I won’t have the fun all to myself, with Bayside shopping centres on the hunt for more jolly men in red to join me on the frontlines as families line up for their annual photos.
Not that you’ll be heading into a warzone if you sign up to “Team Santa”, but I must admit that from experience it’s not all candy canes and snow globes.
Most children are bursting with excitement at meeting Santa and there’s nothing but smiles (and long lists of toys), but some kids do get a little overawed when face-to-face with someone they’re only seen previously in picture books or on the big screen.
There will be tears, but that’s all part of the challenge of the role – turning those tears into smiles again.
JAM Promotions & Events director Margie Lawrence said the perfect Santa was simply someone who loves Christmas and loves people.
“It’s about spreading joy to the kids and the parents too,” Ms Lawrence said.
“You’ve got to enjoy being out there making people smile.”
And while there’s undoubted joy involved in spreading Christmas cheer, it’s not all done just for the love of it, with shopping centre Santas pocketing upwards of $30 an hour, plus penalty rates.
And while a big belly and a real beard are a bonus, Ms Lawrence said padding, wigs and whiskers were all provided.
“Real-bearded Santas are in high demand, but you definitely don’t need one to do the job,” she said.
Personally, I was minus the big belly and the real beard, but neither shortfall proved insurmountable.
To the kids, it transpired that Santa’s just Santa – and apparently, in their eyes, comes in all shapes and sizes.
It was a different matter with some parents though, and I lost count of the number of times I was asked “has Santa been on Ozempic?”.
All in good fun and the spirit of Christmas!
While Ms Lawrence said she wasn’t dealing with a Santa shortage as such, she said Santa photos were becoming increasingly popular each year, and reinforcements were needed to ease the load.
“That’s why we’re looking for more Santas to do shorter shifts,” she said.
As it was with me, the role is a big hit with retired/semi-retired men looking for some festive pocket money.
“Many of our Santas are pensioners who come back year after year – they use the money to go on a cruise after Christmas,” Ms Lawrence laughed.
Anyone interested will need a police check and must complete special training.
For more information, email info@jampromo.com.au or call 0408 873 799.
