Being a professional Santa Claus is not as easy as it seems, not even now that Amazon and similar companies help deliver the gifts and you don't have to rely exclusively on your deer and sleigh. It is essential to know how to act and listen, to be photogenic and enthusiastic, to have empathy and patience with children (and sometimes their parents), to give them confidence so that they do not get scared, to have a good beard (real or fake) and a proper suit, knowing how to socialize and communicate with clients, marketing knowledge...
In England (and also the United States) there is a shortage of Santas during this pre-Christmas season. It is a problem that has been going on since the pandemic, exacerbated by Brexit and the cost of living crisis (the British economy is stagnant). Many people disappeared from the labor market with covid and have not returned. To which we must add the return to their countries of EU citizens, which has the hospitality sector in check, and also bringing gifts to children on the night of December 24. The new Indian, Chinese and Pakistani immigrants do not fit the character like a German, a Finn or a Pole.
In times of austerity and cuts, being Santa Claus is a well-paid job. The usual rate used to be between twenty and thirty euros per hour, with shifts of between eight and twelve hours a day from the beginning of the current month until Christmas. But, with the scarcity of people willing to put on the suit, the hood and the beard to go into the grotto, there are those who this year offer up to one hundred an hour and one thousand for the whole day, which can generate income that can easily reach twenty thousand euros for the entire season.
But not even for those. Just as there is a lack of waiters to serve restaurant tables, and truck drivers to bring goods from the continent to the United Kingdom, there is also a lack of Santa Claus. After all, it is by definition a temporary and precarious job, and in the midst of the economic crisis, in which dogs are not tied with sausage, potential candidates prefer to opt for safer jobs that feed them throughout the year.
A professional Santa Claus is defined in the dictionary as “someone who attends events (parades, lighting of lights and trees, company parties...) and interacts with other people representing that character, especially during Christmas, using their resources as actor to create an experience that is as realistic and authentic as possible.” Some even visit homes and go to schools.
The perfect Santa has an extensive resume detailing his experience, and a good contact book to offer his services year after year as soon as the sleigh driven by Rudolph, the red-nosed reindeer, arrives from Lapland to the British Isles or from Alaska. to Canada and the rest of the United States. He makes advertisements, keeps his beard well-groomed, takes his suit to the dry cleaners, puts makeup on his cheeks, is patient during photo shoots and acts as a guardian of traditions, never going off script. There are specialized academies that teach everything you need.
Santas are paid well (although they are responsible for clothing and travel costs) because the companies that organize the events in which they appear – usually a grotto in a park or a shopping center, but also private parties – They are not shy when it comes to charging for the children's enthusiasm. It's like going to the zoo or Disneyland, with tickets of up to 25 euros per beard, and never better said (for a large family the experience costs a fortune, and that's before even starting to buy gifts).
Those willing to commit to playing Santa Claus are already hired for Christmas 2024, although this has the disadvantage of having to free up their schedule and give up other possible projects in the month of December. Companies like Happy Entertainment or Agency Hire Santa do not hesitate to offer them a juicy bonus to ensure next year's business, because the market is very complicated and it does not seem that the economy is going to improve substantially.
In desperation, some companies have lowered standards and don't even ask for prior experience or acting qualifications. Just a “general knowledge” of what Christmas is and who Santa Claus is, a white beard, a decent suit, the MOT of the sleigh and the license to drive it.
