What It Takes To Be a Professional Santa
My Background
I was asked the one evening where I got my Santa Costume, I gritted my teeth and told the gentleman it is a suit not a costume. I wanted to tell him the Easter Bunny or Werewolf is a costume, but I did not. Then he asks what does a suit like that cost, when I told him the full suit with boots, belt, buckle, vest coat and pants cost over $2,500 the coat I had on at the time was $1800 alone. I knew I had lost him when he said I can get one at Party City for $25. I told him, “Yes, and it is a 25-dollar suit.” To which he replied, “It has a beard that comes with it.”
One year I had a small city call me in September and ask me about being Santa in their Christmas Parade. The woman was talking to me like she was doing me a favor by allowing me to participate in their event. I explained that I require a nonrefundable retainer of this $ amount, a contract and I get this much $ per hour plus a fuel expense fee.” She yelled through phone, “I can get a $29 Santa suit off Amazon, give my brother-in-law $25 and a pint of Jack and he will do this for me."
Besides being booked from around the end of June or first of July for all of November and December I told her if I had any cancelations this is what I get $ (My fee) for a parade per hour or this amount as a set fee not to exceed 5 hours. The woman on the other end said, “That is the same amount!” I said, “Yes, they equal the same $ amount." She said, "I can give him that bottle of Jack and he will do it for as long as I need him to.” My response was, “If that is what you want then you need to call your brother-in-law and not a Professional Santa.” I heard a few vulgar words as she hung up the phone.
These two events started me to thinking about what is it that makes us “Professional Santas” and different from the guy that goes out to Amazon, Party City, or Walmart buys a cheap suit, puts it on and makes a few dollars at Christmas. As a professional Santa there is a lot that goes into 60 days of work each year. I actually start preparation in February and March by attending Santa School. Attending these schools is not cheap, but it is necessary to find out some of the lawsuits pending from the last season and what caused them or the truth behind something that made the news.
Let me give you an example; a couple of years ago we all saw the Santa in the news that told the child he could not have a Nerf Gun for Christmas. The child screamed and celebrities got involved and sent the child Nerf Guns after all the national new medias had showed the film clip of Santa telling him no Nerf Gun. The Santa was tried in the court of public opinion, villainized, and fired from his job. What none of us knew at the time was before the child saw Santa, he had asked his parents for a Nerf Gun and they had told him no. The child said indignantly that he would get Santa to bring it if they would not. The dad saw Santa before the child saw Santa and told Santa they had said no to a Nerf Gun and were anti-gun and anti-hunting and told Santa that the son was going to asks him for one. The dad even asks Santa if he would tell the son that guns were dangerous, Santa agreed because it was a parent’s request. The parents were the ones that recorded the event and put it on social media. From there it took on a life of its own and Santa became the bad guy and lost his job.
Another incident was Santa had a gig at a discount store and he showed up for the gig. Like most of us, you do not travel dressed as Santa, that can cause its own problems if you have to stop somewhere. Santa asks where he was to dress. The manager of the store told Santa to change in the handicap stall of the restroom. Now this is where I would have balked because in my contracts it states I have a private place to dress with a lock on the door. I have dressed in broom closets, but it was private and that is what my contract states. The Santa went to the public restroom and the lock was broken on the handicap stall, but Santa was trying to change clothes. A child came in, saw Santa changing clothes, and then ran out screaming. Mom sued the store and Santa for the mental anguish and the mental trauma her child experienced by seeing Santa dressing. She collected, and Santa lost his job at that discount store and his record now shows he has been sued for causing mental anguish and the mental trauma to a child. This brings up the need for insurance.
I know all or most of us started with a cheap suit and no training, but many of us began when times were much simpler than they are today. When I purchased my first liability insurance policy, we were living in Pennsylvania at the time my wife thought I was wasting money, but we started hearing about all the law suits and her mind changed. Today she insists on my having insurance and be bonded. There is a difference between insurance and being bonded. There is also a need for an annual federal background check to verify Santa is not a risk to your child.
When I started it was 1970, Mr. Don Pearce, one of my Jr. High Science Teachers, Jr, Football Coach, and City Counselman for the small rural town we lived in, came to me and ask if I could be Santa in the local Christmas Parade. The Santa that had been hired had come down with the flu and could not make it. At first, I said no, then after the offer of $10 I accepted the offer and he got the suit out of the trunk of his car and told me where to be and what time. Later the local library called wanting a Santa, then a few churches called and I became known as a Santa.
Things have changed a lot since 1970. There is so much to being a Professional Santa that someone just starting would not and could not know. If this is their first year and they purchased that cheap off the shelf suit they cannot truly understand what they are getting into. I will say this, that once you put that suit on, you know if you will continue doing it or not. I promise myself every year is my last, but come February I’ll start getting ready for November and December. In resent years Santa has been seen between Halloween decorations and at Christmas in July parties. I have even but on SCUBA gear and did a “Summer Splash Party”. (I am a certified diver).
Please allow me to try and explain the difference between someone that owns a Santa Suit and a Professional Santa. There is a lot of differences and I will add that those that hire a Professional over the local guy with a cheap suit will know the difference within minutes.
The busy season is October, November and December, with the busiest being Thanksgiving to Christmas. I start receiving calls and emails in July to book events. One year I had bookings for December come in February and some people will book from year to year. But the majority of the requests start coming in August, however most years I am completely booked by the end of July for all of November and December. There are also a lot of last-minute requests no matter how much you tell repeat for clients to book early many will wait. As I said the real season starts after Thanksgiving and I will have bookings every day from Thanksgiving until Christmas Eve. Because I also do Grandfather Frost and Saint Nicholas, I will have a few bookings with Greek and Russian Orthodox up to January 6thand Saint Nicholas Day Gatherings on December 5th and on December 6th.
The weeks of October are more promotional work and grand openings — a lot of photo shoots in late October and early November for personalized Christmas Cards. I do 100’s if not thousands of shoots for all kinds of TV commercials starting the last of September through the second week of October. So, watch for me on T-Mobile and ATT commercials those are done for this year in August. I have tried to do local drug stores, car dealerships, and the like in my home town but, they think of me just as a local guy “with a suit” and do not understand I am a Professional Santa Claus Entertainer not just some local guy with a cheap suit. Then when they find I have movie credits, commercials, and international contracts I always get the same reaction, “Why didn’t you tell me that.” But then the next year it is always the same thing.
Then toward the middle of December, that's when I am busy 6 days a week sometimes 7 with corporate parties, private parties, Country Clubs, museums, and other large events. As it gets closer to Christmas Eve, the majority of my parties will be in people's homes. I truly love doing visits where it has been set up for the children to “Catch Santa” checking his list or on Christmas Eve catching him place presents under the tree. I always tell the children, “I hate it when this happens, but it does happen occasionally.” I also tell them they must tell their friends they caught Santa, knowing that will be the “BIG” story they have to tell.
It seems that everybody wants the same time — they all want Santa around me around 7 p.m. It's dark and the family's together and they've eaten, so that's the most popular time. I use HireSanta.Com and GigSalad to book many events for me, but I also book directly with clients. I use to do it all myself, but keeping the books for taxes got to be a chore, yes Santa pays taxes like everyone else. I do not make as much money when events are booked through HireSanta or GigSalad as I did bookings my own parties, but they are responsible for collecting the pay and doing the books. That is worth a lot when it comes to tax time. I get a number of personal requests for me at a number of parties, but I can only be one place at a time and HireSanta.Com and GigSalad works those times out, but I do not have to worry about scheduling. It is a tradeoff for less money than I made by being my own agent and having peace of mind that by bookings are handled by group of Professional Entertainer Brokers with large client bases in large cities and rural areas I could not reach.
I try to get as good a night's sleep as often I can. Most of my visits are usually about an hour to three hours. I have and follow a GPS, but many times private addresses are not where the GPS says they are. My visits are in and around Southeast Oklahoma, north to Fort Smith and Tulsa, west to Ada and OKC, Southeast to Texarkana, and south to Dallas and Fort Worth, and I have also traveled to the Caribbean, California, Canada and to the UK to bring the “American Santa Claus Experience” to children there. To make it clear when I say children, we are all children at heart.
When I get to the houses, I obviously bring presents in. One funny thing is, people actually think I'm a magic elf or at least Superman and not an old man in a Red Suit. I have the capacity to carry about 50 pounds, and I will get to places and they'll have four bags and 200 pounds of presents. I'm like, I can't physically carry this many presents in.
Each visit if ask I do a reading of "The Night Before Christmas", tell one of the lovely stories my lovely wife has written just for me and of course I have to tell of some adventure that happened at the North Pole. I do a little caroling, even if I am off key, I do a little bit of magic, I am often asked to read “The Christmas Story” from the Book of Luke and I also get to talk about the real Saint Nicholas of Myra. Then, of course, kids get to sit with me, take a photo, tell me what they want for Christmas. I end each visit with, “Remember the real gift of Christmas was found in a manger, not under a tree.”
Since the Covid Pandemic of 2020 I also do a lot of virtual video calls. This gets really hectic balancing my time and doing video calls. There is almost no time to get that sleep or to eat. Plus, I will have people still text me or call saying they need a Santa, NOW! Like one evening I had a woman in Fort Worth contacted me because she found out I know American Sign Language and she need a Santa for a Deaf and Blind School. She wanted to book a party. I had to politely tell her I was booked solid, but in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex she could contact HireSanta.Com and see if they could work something out. One Christmas The Professional Surgeons of North Dallas called me- of course the first year I did a party for them I had to ask if there were any unprofessional surgeons in North Dallas- they had decided to have a second Christmas Party on Christmas Eve offered me $500 an hour to do the party for them. I had to turn it down because I was booked with home visits and I would not let the families that were expecting me down no matter how much they offered. You can see being a Professional Santa is a full-time job from October through December and this does not count doing “Christmas in July” events which are booked in February and March for July. I have also done “Under the Sea Santa” in SCUBA. I also do other characters during the summer months such as a magic clown, balloon artist or any performer character I have in my trunk that may be need. So, you can see that I am a Professional Entertainer, not a “guy with a Santa Suit.”
When I was a child, Christmas was the greatest thing. My mom went all out decorating the house. The "Chipmunks Christmas" record — that's the indelible mark in my childhood memories of the Chipmunks playing, and the scratchy record, and decorating the tree, and people coming over, and Santa. When I was a kid, meeting Santa Claus was the best. My mom would take my younger sister, Carol and I up to Sears on North Noble Street in Anniston, Alabama to see Santa. I knew who God was but my family was not religious. My mom and grandmother were believers, but my mom did not go to church because I dad did not believe at all. In fact, I heard him say on several occasions that, “The Bible is a book made up to keep people from killing each other.” My dad did observe Christmas because he was a merchant, and it was good for his business to follow practices of the community. My grandmother would walk up the hill to the local Methodist church and sometimes, especially at Christmas I would go with her. To me Santa was only a couple of pegs in the great chain of life below Jesus and God. He brought you presents and he was all full of joy. Christmas played a very special part in my life because it was a fun time.
To me, Santa Claus is so important. He brings toys, but it's bigger than that. Santa Claus reminds me to be kind to one another, he reminds me that it's love — that's the important thing, that we're showing love for each other and for our family and friends. As I grew and read more I learned of Saint Nicholas of Myra, “The Real Santa Claus.” I learned that he gave because God gave us a gift named Jesus who was the Christ, and Jesus gave us hope and forgiveness of our sins by his gift of Himself. To quote Saint Nicholas of Myra. “The giver of every good and perfect gift has called upon us to mimic God’s giving, by grace, through faith, and this is not of ourselves.” This had a profound impression on me, Santa Claus had been a real person. He wanted us to mimic Christ by giving of ourselves to help others, so I wanted to mimic Saint Nicholas. Many boys in my age group idolized Roy Rogers, Sky King, Johnny Unitas, Tarzan, but Saint Nichols became my hero.
Being a Santa Claus, it allows me to share that joy of the season with all the people I interact with. I get to tell the Christmas Story to hundreds of children; I get to tell the story of Saint Nicholas and how he became known as Santa Claus. The big thing is to witness to children that Jesus loves them. When I go to a corporate party, they're hiring me to interact with everybody. But I don't just interact with just the guests. I interact with the busboy and the valet and the random person who's sitting at the bar. I'm Santa for everybody, and it's very important that they know they're loved. I am full of trivia about Santa and Sait Nicholas and I have a full backstory of the character I portray, plus I know ASL, a little Spanish, a little Russian, a little Arabic, and some Elvish so I can make my impression of a Saint born on March 15, in the year 270 believable. I can tell them how my suit changed from the Bishop’s robes to Santa’s suit and the meaning of all the pieces of clothing and how it relates back to the early church.
I just love it — I love it! I have been doing it since 1970 when I was in High School and I plan on doing it as long as God allows. Each day starting the 1st of November through January 6th I mark off my calendar and it makes me a little sad that it is one less day of the season.
When you put on that suit you must become that character and if you portray Santa and have a real beard and your hair and beard is white, you become Santa 24 – 7. It is difficult for me to go shop for groceries during the Season. You will go places even in summer and you will notice some people looking at you or whispering, you almost seem to be paranoid. I have people come up and ask if they can get my picture no matter where I am. I have to be careful where and when to wear red. I would never go around another Santa that is preforming out of courtesy and if I have to enter a store that has a Santa, I have a black gator neck collar I wear over my beard. I have to be aware of my actions and words because someone is always watching and it usually is a child. I have had parents in restaurants apologize telling me he/she (their child) is looking at me because he/she thinks you I look like Santa. I then go into a performance and pull my business card and say, “I’m always watching.” You cannot ever have a drink of wine or beer in public. Your language has to be above reproach at all times. Looking like Santa and portraying Santa professionally has a cost.
So what is a Professional Santa? I have told you about me, but not how or what is a Professional Santa. A Professional Santa is someone who trains all year and knows his character. They have developed an extensive backstory and can tell you about the life of their character and events that have happened in their characters life. They know their character and can answer questions about their character and bring that character to life.
The Professional Santa attends events and interact with others while playing the character of Santa Claus, typically during the Christmas season. They can work independently or with a cast of other actors, models and mascots, elves, and Mrs. Claus’. Professional Santas wear suits to look as much like Santa as possible, using their acting skills to create an authentic experience for visitors. Being a Professional Santa is typically a part-time seasonal job but with training and experience it can become year-round. Professional Santas can work at malls, stores, holiday-themed venues and private events as entertainers. Some of the types of events that professional Santas can appear at include:
Holiday parades
Christmas tree lightings
Charity events
Christmas villages
Company parties
Store Openings
In-home photoshoots
Church pageants
School assemblies
Christmas in July Events
Holiday Cruise
The Pay
The first thing people want to know about is, “What does it pay.” For me if you are doing it strictly for money you are looking at it all wrong. You will spread joy and bring happiness to many families. You will get thousands of smiles from lots of innocent loving children. Having a job as a professional Santa allows you to spread cheer with others and find personal enjoyment and satisfaction in your work. Some of the top benefits of working as a professional Santa are:
- Making children happy: Whether or not a child believes in Santa Claus, interacting with a professional Santa can be an exciting treat. Professional Santas can help children feel a sense of magic and wonder during the holidays. As a professional Santa, you'll have the opportunity to spread joy and make children smile during your interactions.
- Participating in traditions: The story of Santa Claus is a part of many traditions and cultures. Individual families may also have personal traditions of visiting a Professional Santa every Christmas. By working as a Professional Santa, you can help grow longstanding traditions and help others make memories.
- Seeing life from other perspectives: As a Professional Santa, you'll interact with people of all ages and backgrounds. When children share their Christmas wishes with a professional Santa, they share their own values, interests and perspective. Becoming a Professional Santa gives you the privilege of learning how other people view the world.
- Connecting with a community: Being a Professional Santa can help you develop strong connections with your community. Professional Santas often work with charities and other community groups, providing opportunities to network with people who share their values and love of Christmas.
This is the real pay, but people want to know about money. Santa Claus job openings are the most paid seasonal jobs in the market. Despite the fact that most Santas work only during November and December, they can make enough extra cash during the busy season to pay for a Christmas Vacation. The salary varies depending on experience, and experience and training adds up to dollars in your pocket. The more experience and training you have as a Santa the more you will notice the bulge in your pocket.
Mall Santa (it does not have to be a mall it can be any large store) gets anywhere from $25 to $500 per hour depending on their experience and location. Location is a bigger pay determiner than experience. If the store you are working is in a town with a population of 15,000 people or less expect to be on the lower end of the pay scale. However, if you are working in New York, Los Angles, or even London expect the higher end of the pay scale but also expect your expenses to be more. Most companies want to hire a Santa who does not live in the area. This is where if Santa is walking around at a local store after the season he is not recognized as Santa, travel is a necessity that causes room expenses and extra food cost. So, if you want to make some extra money, you can work part-time and earn from $3,000 to $7,000 just for working on weekends or in the morning/evening only, but with your travel, room and food your out of pocket expenses can easily exceed what you make . Some Real bearded Santas in top areas will be able to get $10,000 per season. If you are willing to work full-time, a minimum of 10 hours a day, 7 days a week for the 40-day period it is possible to make up to $50,000 if you are experienced enough and you have a realistic appearance, but I would not advise that because of health reasons. For the movies I have appeared in I had to join the actors guild and was contracted at a flat salary that I am not allowed to disclose.
It is true, that if you want to get Santa Claus jobs, you will have to invest some money, but believe, me to be realistic it is definitely worth it. One of your biggest expenses will be attending Santa School, it is not mandatory but if you want to be a professional it is highly recommended and recommended you attend each year.
For being a Professional Santa, be ready to buy a Professional Santa suit ($1500 to $4500) that includes 1 pair red pants and 1 jacket trimmed with fake fur, white gloves are an extra cost and also boots ($300), belt ($300). A vest will set you back another $300, good white shirts with trim will cost $100 to $250 each. A Heavy Brass Buckle for the belt can cost as much as the belt ($300). Never skimp on your suit because it defines your career success as a Santa Claus. Taking care of Santa Claus beard will be your main responsibility. Professional bleaching and hair care can cost up to $300 per season. The more realistic you are, the more money you will get. Kids are so perspicacious and they will notice each detail. I spend around $500 each season on white gloves and closeup magic tricks that can make my character more believable.
You will need at least two suits. While you are wearing one the other is in the cleaners. Suits will get soiled. Children will poop, pee, puke, and crawl up in your lap with sticky or chocolate hands. Dry Cleaning each suit will cost $300 to $500 for each cleaning. Also remember those hands covered in chocolate, sticky syrupy goo, and snot and slobber will find their way into your beard and some of those tykes get a good grip. I have four suits, with extra pants, but only two pair of boots. I change gloves constantly. Makeup and children will mess up gloves fast. I keep a pair of white goat skin gloves back stage to handle animals, and yes people will bring their fur babies as well as other pets for pictures with Santa. I have had my picture taken with tarantulas, lizards, snakes, goats, horses, skunks, monkeys, racoons, opossums, sugar gliders, ferrets, hamsters, guinea pigs, dogs, cats and even a kangaroo as well as other assorted questionable pets.
This seems like a good place to say why Santa wears white gloves? There are two main reasons, one is sanitation. You can see the dirt and will know when to change them. Second is when that picture is taken those white gloves will show up. There is no question about where Santa has his hands. If you get accused of unwanted touching just tell them to look at the picture, it was not Santa and the proof is there.
Gig workers are becoming more and more mainstream in the Santa Community, contributing to the rise of project-to-project and freelance job offerings. The growth of the gig economy means that professionals looking for a nontraditional career path can find many different opportunities across a variety of industries. From technology and marketing to construction and trades, there are many roles that professionals fill as gig workers.
A gig worker is a professional who, instead of receiving a regular income, receives wages based on the one-time projects, or "gigs," that they complete. This makes for a flexible work environment, where employers can offer payment for only the work that's available for a gig worker to perform. The gig economy is the work and career environment in which these professionals work. I do lots of “gig” work but, I also require a contract and a nonrefundable retainer.
The main responsibility of a professional Santa is to make visitors feel like they are really talking to Santa. This involves acting and dressing like Santa and staying in character during all interactions. Professional Santas perform a range of duties to find, set up and prepare for their gigs. Here are some of the main duties a professional Santa might have:
- Researching potential clients and reaching out to book events: Some professional Santas work for photography or event companies, but many are self-employed. (I like to receive bookings through HireSanta or GigSalad). The Santa has to maintain contact with potential clients and venues to schedule events each year.
- Creating marketing and promotional materials to advertise their services: Professional Santas can increase the number of jobs they book by developing advertising and promotional content to spread awareness of their services.
- Grooming their beard and putting on makeup: Looking like Santa Claus is an essential aspect of working as a professional Santa. Some professional Santas have a natural beard (I do) while others wear a fake one (I started with a nylon beard and later yak hair). In both cases, grooming the beard and applying makeup for rosy cheeks is an important part of creating a realistic Santa costume.
- Maintaining their Santa Suits: Caring for the traditional Red Suit, fluffy hat and black belt allows professional Santas to look tidy and put-together during events. Many professional Santas have multiple Santa Suits that they cycle through for various types of occasions. They schedule dry-cleaning and regularly spot-clean their costumes to ensure appropriate hygiene and a presentable appearance.
- Setting up props: Professional Santas often take Christmas photos on sets with large chairs, piles of presents, backdrops, stockings, fake fireplaces, bags of toys, ornaments and other holiday props. They help stage event areas by arranging props in an attractive manner.
- Coordinating with event managers, photographers and other actors: To ensure their events go smoothly, professional Santas communicate with their clients and colleagues to coordinate photo ops and other scheduled activities.
- Posing for photos: One of the main duties of a professional Santa is to pose for photographs with visitors. They smile brightly during all photos and use classic photos to contribute to the Christmas ambiance and give customers and excellent photo.
Interacting with children and other guests: Professional Santas always stay in character, let me repeat that ALWAYS especially when talking to or around children. Children may sit on the professional Santa's lap and talk about what presents they want to receive for Christmas. The professional Santa is responsible for guiding an engaging conversation with their visitors, asking questions and making them feel special. One reason children respond to Santa is Santa is an adult that listens to them without judgement. This is a good time to say one of my pet peeves - Santa deals with children not kids. Kids are farm animals. Webster’s definition of kid is:
Kid:
a: a young goat
b: a young individual of various animals related to the goat
c: the flesh, fur, or skin of a young goat
d: something (such as leather) made of the fur or skin of a young goat gloves made of kid (I have a pair I use to handle pets)
Did you ever think Santa would need insurance to visit with your children?
Insurance and Bonding
Safety is an important factor in any line of work. But, it’s not just about physical safety. Insurance plays a big role in protecting the Professional Santa Entertainer and person or company that hired them —and so do surety bonds. Both are often the foundation of reliable contracts and appeal to businesses because they create a level of trust between the two. Most of the "I have a Santa Costume" Santas will not have liability insurance or be bonded. To me they just sticking out their necks, along with the necks of their clients waiting for the axe to chop off their careers and businesses.
Here’s a breakdown of what it means to be insured and bonded.
Insurance for Santa
Liability insurance pays for damages if you’re held liable for bodily injury and/or property damage due to your premises and/or operations. If a parent claims Santa’s hand was in a bad place, or Santa said something inappropriate and someone was offended, and in today’s world you could say “Good Moring” and someone could be offended. It’s important to note that general liability also covers the business where Santa is appearing. It would cover incidents such as if Santa fell on someone or dropped a child from his lap. Myself I carry 3 million dollars of liability insurance from Lords of London.
Insured Santas appeal to businesses because the business won’t be held responsible for damage or injuries that may occur from Santa’s performance. Any savvy or smart business or individual should only hire a Santa that is insured because it protects them as well as Santa. As an insured Santa you can and have to ask for more money to help cover this expense. Insurance is not cheap.
So what does Santa need insurance coverage for:
• Active shooter coverage: Protects you from liability if an active shooting incident occurs while you perform your duties a Santa Claus.
• Alleged assault and battery liability: Coverage for claims against you regarding assault and/or battery.
• Alleged sexual abuse and molestation liability: Coverage for claims against you regarding sexual abuse and/or molestation. This is is not just for sexual abuse and molestation dealing with children. One case I know of where Santa was sued for sexual abuse involved a 26 year old woman. Everyone was getting pictures with Santa and this woman did not want to sit in Santa's lap for a picture. After encouragement from her friends and with Santa encouraging her to "just sit for a picture" she did. Later she had second thoughts, sued Santa for sexual abuse for having her sit in his lap. The judge said she was "coerced against her will" and she collected 1 million dollars. That Santa can no longer portray Santa because on top having to pay out cash, he is now a listed sex offender.
• Animal liability: If you have an animal with you such as a reindeer, this coverage protects you against third-party bodily injury and property damage. It also covers you if you are taking pictures with animals and the animal breaks away from you and injuries someone. Another case I am aware of Santa was taking picture with a small lap dog. The squirmy pup got out of Santa's grip and was able to get some Christmas candy away from a toddler, but in the process bit the toddler taking the candy. Major law suit against the dog owner, the store, and Santa. All had to share paying the sum of $5 million dollars to the child's parents. The judge said Santa was negligent because he did not have control of the animal and allowed it to escape his grasp, it did not matter that the Santa was in his 70's. Santa literally had to sale his home to help pay his part of the settlement. He should have purchased insurance.
• Communicable disease coverage: An endorsement to provide coverage for negligent exposure to any declared pandemic disease or pathogen, including COVID-19. This coverage is a rider on your policy and cost extra. Many policies will not cover COVID-19 unless you pay plenty extra for that coverage.
• Equipment rental liability: Coverage for rented equipment such as sleighs, animatronics, Bouncy-Houses, etc. If Santa uses rented equipment such as blow-ups this rider is a must, even if Santa does not rent the equipment, it is a must. Santa is at a private party where the parents had rented a bouncy castle. Santa thinks it will be fun and funny if he gets into the bouncy house with the children. On this occasion the house was not anchored down to hold Santa's weight. The house tipped over and Santa and three children were injured, none seriously. The rental company and Santa were named in the law suit. The rental company was found not liable because the parents that rented the bouncy castle had not followed the procedures for anchoring the bouncy house in the rental contract. Santa on the other hand exceeded the weight requirements of the rental equipment and it was determined it was Santa's weight that caused the house to tip over. Santa had to pay for damage to the rental bouncy house, medical expenses of the three injured children plus a settlement of 1 million dollars for pain and suffering. The parents who did not secure the bouncy house paid nothing.
• General liability: Third-party coverage for bodily injury and property damage. Santa is working at a mall. It is in his contract he has to promote different stores in the Mall that are have sales on merchandise each day. A sporting goods store is having a sale on bowling balls. Santa picks up one of the balls, but because he has gloved hands, he drops the ball. The lose 14-pound ball plowed through the set breaking several items and came to rest after breaking a window in a store close to the set. If there is a happy ending to this story Santa's insurance paid for the property damage, if not Santa would have paid out over $100 thousand in damages.
• Personal liability: Protects you against frivolous lawsuits. This one is used often. It is like a child comes walking up to Santa. Santa says, “Oh my. You have grown. You are bigger than you were last year.” Mom then sues Santa for saying her child is fat. Don’t laugh it has happened and she collected.
Insurance for Santa is a business expense, and again it is not cheap. However, one law suit and it is worth it. Do an internet search for liability insurance for entertainers or liability insurance for Santa and several companies will come up. As I said my insurance is through Lords of London so is my bonding, one policy covers both.
Bonded Contractor
Surety bonds act somewhat as a promise between the Santa and both the client, business and public entity. For a business, License and Permit bonds guarantee a Santa will do business that meets with the rules of his contract or per agreements with the vendor in accordance with rules of social norms. They also protect the public from fraudulent practices and ensure a Santa is operating in a professional manner according to acceptable codes and regulations.
A performance and payment bond is for public appearances (any job paid for in part or in whole out of public funds such as for a city or community center) due to the Miller Act. This Act requires all contractors (and Santa is a contractor) to provide performance and payment bonds that guarantee performance of contractual duties, and payment to subcontractors and suppliers that are involved in a bonded, public contract.
There are a number of bonds; here are five most common types:
• Performance bonds favor the project owner and guarantee that all contract requirements are met. If the contractor fails to complete the required job, the bond can provide compensation to a project owner.
• Bid bonds prequalify contractors to bid for jobs. They protect the project owner, ensuring the contractor will honor the bid requirements if awarded the job.
• Payment bonds ensure all laborers working under the contractor (including suppliers and subcontractors) will be paid for labor and materials.
• License and Permit bonds can favor either a homeowner or project owner guaranteeing a contractor does business compliant with the rules of his or her specific contractor license and protect the public from fraudulent practices thus ensuring a contractor is operating their business according to applicable codes and regulations.
• Maintenance bonds offer protection in the event of faulty or defective materials, even after a project’s completion for a specified time period (similar to a warranty).
Most places do not require a Santa to be bonded. What I carry is a performance bond (as said it is with my insurance policy with Lords of London). A performance bond, is also called a contract bond, is a sort of guarantee that's issued to one party involved in a contract by the other involved party. In essence, it states that not only does the issuing party, me intend to uphold their end of the bargain, but that I am willing to back up my promise to do so financially.
Say that a business wants a Santa for a Grand Opening. For some unforeseen reason, accident, sickness or even my car breaks down and I cannot fulfill my end of the contract. My bond will cover any loss up to the amount of my bond because I could not make the performance.
Insurance + Bonds
The most appealing Santas are often both bonded and insured. Insurance protects you in the event of an accident and allows you to operate legally as a business. Bonds help create trust that you’ll complete the required project and allow you to work on public jobs.
Becoming a qualified insured and bonded Santa might feel like added work, but it will benefit you in the long run with the consumer. Bonds and insurance give the consumer assurance that their interests are protected and confidence that they are working with a reliable Professional Santa. I don't think the brother-in-law with the $29 Santa suit will provide this protection to his clients.
I am insured and bonded not only as Santa but also as a Clown, Balloon Artist, and most importantly as an entertainer for any event throughout the year. It cost a little more to be covered year-round, but I think it is worth it.
To prepare yourself to become a Professional Santa, consider these steps:
1. Prepare a convincing suit
To be a good Santa, you have to look the part, and anyone can create a convincing Santa suit. As long as you have a jolly disposition, you can be a great Santa. Depending on your age and body type, you can consider adding touches like body padding, a prosthetic nose and fake wrinkles. If you want to use your natural beard as part of your Santa suit, brush and groom it to look fluffy and soft.
Your Santa suit should typically include a red jacket with white trim, red pants, black boots (not those black over the shoe spats), a red hat with a white pom pom, a belt, if you wear glasses use gold wire-rimmed glasses and white gloves. Once you have your basic Santa suit, you can consider preparing other costumes with more embellishments or a unique theme. Avoid the $25-dollar cheap suit, it looks and is cheap. You can get a fairly good suit for around $400 at many Santa Shops online, I recommend Planet Santa. They are not custom suits but they are worlds better than the Party City/Walmart suit.
2. Attend Santa school
You can learn most of what you need to know to become a professional Santa by attending a Santa school. Santa schools include workshops that teach you the basics of being Santa Claus. Attending Santa school not only teaches you about how to look like Santa, but it also instructs you on how to deal with the complex psychology of being a fictional character with children. You'll discover how to react if a child confides in you about concerning information or how to address requests for extremely expensive gifts. Other things you can learn through professional Santa school include:
- Tips for looking good on camera
- Staying in character as Santa
- Finding leads for gigs
- Building stamina for long events
- Age-appropriate conversation topics and strategics
- Themed group activities
- Makeup
- How to find your 6 year old self (the mean age of Santa Clients are 6 year old. You must think like they do.)
- Impromptu acting
- Child Psychology
- Adolescent Psychology
The oldest school is the Charles W. Howard School. There is SATBOBS Santa School, Christmas Performer Workshops (CPW), The International University of Santa Claus, Santa Anna’s University, The Saint Nicholas Institute and many more. I have attended The Christmas Performers Workshop, SATBOBS, and The Saint Nicholas Institute. Each of these schools cost $400 to $1000 each plus you have to have transportation to the school and get a room in a motel/hotel for duration of the class. These schools are not cheap but if you want to be a professional you have to train. I attended The Saint Nicholas Institute each year, it was a faith-based school that taught about the life of Saint Nicholas of Myra. I am very pleased to say I attended this school until it closed but I remain in contact with others that attended.
I have also attended SATBOBS, and recommend for beginners The Christmas Preformers Workshop with Santa True. I have attend several of his classes and advanced schools and after all these years I always learn something new,
In these schools you will also learn laws that require you to report certain things a child may tell you such as child abuse. Sometimes what Santa is told is not nice things. There are laws dealing with child welfare and things Santa will need to know when visiting with children these are only covered in special schools for those that work with children but are very much needed.
Child Psychology and Adolescent Psychology classes involves the study, assessment, and treatment of a wide range of interrelated biological, psychological, and social problems experienced by children and adolescents. As a Santa you are not a Phycologist or health care professional, as Santa you just need to recognize issues where as Santa you can adjust your performance to meet the child’s needs. The important thing to learn is Child and Adolescent Behavior because this provides an illuminating overview of the epigenetic, hormonal and neurological developments that takes place during Child and Adolescence. It shows how these changes, during learning and development period which can influence sociocultural community. This leads to studies in abnormal Child and Adolescent Behavior. Then you can do as I have done and take courses in dealing with Children and Adolescents with special needs. One course I really enjoyed was “Special Needs of Special Populations” at Oral Roberts. Dealing with special children as Santa you need special skills. As a Santa you use these skills every time you go on set because even if it is an adult when they interact with Santa, they become a child at heart.
3. Practice your Santa impression
Provide an engaging, convincing experience for your customers and visitors by spending time practicing your impression. This helps you prepare for long shifts pretending to be Santa without breaking character. Practice common phrases and imagine what you would say in different scenarios. In addition to practicing a friendly voice, think about the mannerisms and body language you'll use to display a welcoming, jovial demeanor. Practice
