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Published in the St. Petersburg Florida Times - August 22, 2005 |
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The Business of Being JollyBy LEONORA LaPETER, Times Staff Writer
TAMPA - They came in, one by one, and eyed each others' beards. Slowly, the secrets came out. Apparently, all those fellas in red velvet suits and Santa hats who show up at malls, private parties, churches, day care centers and charitable events each December spend a whole lot of time figuring out how to play the real Santa. Some of them dye their beards every six weeks, most of them stop eating garlic in November because of the smell, and few of them will never give children candy anymore. That ended when the parents of a kid who poked the roof of her mouth with a pointy peppermint stick sued the Santa who gave it to her. Call it the education of Santa. Timothy Connaghan, who is the official Santa of the Hollywood Christmas parade, travels around the country offering a daylong University of Santa Claus. Cost: $79 per Santa, $110 for Santa and Mrs. Claus. On Saturday, he held court over 100 Santas in Atlanta. A day later, he stood before 49 Santas and Mrs. Clauses at a retirement community's meeting room in Tampa. There was a Jewish Santa who arrives by helicopter or limousine at high-society parties in West Palm Beach; a Carrollwood Santa who has done Bucs parties and once had Warren Sapp sit on his knee; and a Tampa Santa who first played the part 20 years ago at a "family-oriented clothing optional resort" in Pasco County. "Who knew that one day you'd sit around with a bunch of old men and talk about velvet and faux fur?" said Connaghan, author of a book titled Behind the Red Suit: The Business of Santa Claus. Connaghan, who wore a red- and white-striped button-down shirt and red and white patent leather wingtips, first played Santa in 1969 in Vietnam. He donned a thin paper hat that someone got in the mail and used shaving cream for his beard. Then one by one, the GIs came up and sat on his lap to receive their mail. Today, the 57-year-old is executive director of the Amalgamated Order of Real-Bearded Santas, a group of 260 Santas from around the country who had to send pictures and give references to join. Apparently, the beard is a big deal, the subject of many Santa discussion sites. Though many of the real-bearded Santas recognize that some Santas just can't grow beards, there is a push amongst them for realism. Some Santas go to a famous hair stylist in Atlanta known for fixing Santa beards with all sorts of dyes, relaxers and gels at a cost of $150. "Do you do anything to your beard?" Marlene Kraatz asked George McManus. "He bleaches it," answered McManus' wife, Peggy. "I go to the hairdresser," chimed in McManus, 65, who has been doing Santa for 30 years. "I use a toothbrush, an old one, and I use the white spray that the kids use," said Ray Kraatz, 73, who is Lowry Park Zoo's Santa. "We're going to use that lady in Atlanta because last time (he dyed it), his did get a little yellow," said Peggy McManus. Apparently, there are a lot of things to consider when playing Santa. Use breath mints, and stay away from beans, cabbage and chicken wings. Don't scratch or pick. Put baby powder in your beard. It's a smell children recognize. Connaghan advised the Santas that the more professional their images, the more they would be sought. Beginning Santas can make $8 to $10 an hour, but most Santas earn $5,000 to $12,000 per season. The most sought-after Santas earn $20,000 per season. Many of the Santas said they became Santa because they look like him and it was a way to add to their retirement income. But many were handing Connaghan quite a bit of money to accessorize. "How much is this belt?" asked Sue Simon, pointing to a leather belt, hand carved and painted with Santa on his sleigh with all the reindeer. Her husband, Dave Simon, is the Jewish Santa who does a lot of corporate events and private parties. He earns $20,000 a season. "$300," answered Connaghan. "Will you sell it outright at the end of the day?" "Sure." Nearby, Hugh McDowell, a vision research scientist from the University of Florida, was trying on a massive, $200 brass belt buckle cut in the shape of the word "Santa." McDowell, 58, has played Santa for just two seasons at parties and as a substitute at the mall. His wife, Betty, stood back and eyed him appreciatively. "It is so big. It really does focus attention, and you may really be able to get away with less padding," she said, speaking of her husband, who sported a Santa-like real beard but not much of a belly. Then she turned her head at an angle and said to anyone who was listening: "His extra weight does hang in his closet."
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