Chris Lange, FISM News
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Each fall, approximately 300 Santas-in-training converge on the small Michigan town of Midland to master the look, sound, and movements of the jolly old elf as pupils of the esteemed Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School – the longest-running Santa school in the world.
According to the school’s website, Howard, who served as the Macy’s Day Thanksgiving Parade Santa from 1948 to 1965, established the not-for-profit school in 1937 in direct response to his dismay upon seeing Santas dressed in shabby suits and “cheap beards” who exhibited “a shockingly inadequate knowledge of reindeer.” His first class was attended by a welder from New Jersey, his friend, and a neighbor.
Today, Santa hopefuls eagerly fork over $580 to attend the three-day course, to which they are admitted on a first-come, first-served basis. Classes begin with instruction in proper Santa attire. While many students spend the year cultivating their own luxurious, white beards, others opt for pricey replicas costing upwards of $200 that are made from human hair – a far cry from the yak hair used in the school’s early days.
The curriculum also includes a speech class that helps students perfect Santa’s signature “Ho! Ho! Ho!” and laugh, acting, make-up application to achieve the requisite rosy cheeks and nose, and dance moves like “going down a chimney” and “hanging tinsel on a tree.” Students also learn American Sign Language phrases so Santas can better communicate with special-needs children.
In a video produced by the school, one returning student recalled a memorable encounter he had with a young deaf girl during a Santa gig. “She kind of stood away. She wasn’t really comfortable coming close to me,” he said. After confirming with the girl’s father that she understood ASL, he proceeded to sign the words “Merry Christmas” and was delighted with the effect. “She came right up to me. She sat on my knee, and he took pictures, and everything was great,” he said.
“If Santa can sign for them – wow! That is like the top for them. They are so excited,” said one of the ASL instructors in the video. “They need to know that Santa loves them, too.”
Coursework also includes a class designed to help pupils master their improvisation skills – a must for Santas, according to the school’s Dean Tom Valent. “Things can go wrong,” he said, citing costume malfunctions as an example.
Each year, a local kindergarten class visits the school, presenting students with the opportunity to put their training to the test. The week concludes with a formal graduation, during which newly-certified Santas are presented with official Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School diplomas. Graduates can go on to earn between $30 to $150 an hour in jobs ranging from mall Santas to working alongside the Rockettes in New York City – even television commercials. Some have gone on to follow in Howards’ footsteps as Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade Santas.
The school currently operates under the direction of Tom Valent and his wife, Holly, who remembers visiting a holiday-themed park Howard created after establishing the school. “Christmas Park” boasted several barns, a train, and grazing reindeer. “As a little girl, I sat on Charles Howard’s lap, too,” said Holly. “We were from a small town. Every child wanted to go to Christmas Park.”
Today, Charles W. Howard Santa school continues to embrace its namesake’s motto: “He errs who thinks Santa enters through the chimney. Santa enters through the heart.” Though it has grown in attendance, stature, and fame, the school remains true to Howard’s vision of spreading the joy and magic of the Christmas season far and wide.
“It’s a privilege to be Santa, not a job,” said Tom. “I do it because I love it. I believe the kids need to have a little joy in their lives – especially now.”