The Real Santas of Massachusetts
The home in Rehoboth, Mass., was literally lit up like a Christmas tree. Inside it smelled of Crock Pot meatballs and cheese pizza. A few dozen kids packed into the kitchen, crushing down cheese balls and fruit drinks in little plastic barrel bottles. The holiday party, an annual tradition for the family, was thrown by possibly the luckiest first grader in school. Everyone from his class was invited. Nearly everyone showed up.
Including a special guest who was definitely not from the neighborhood.
“If you guys sing ‘Here Comes Santa Claus,’ something amazing might happen,’’ the children were told.
They began to sing. Their young voices, lubed by fruit drinks and candy, poured from the kitchen like spoiled milk. Thick, inconsistent, and a little terrifying.
And then the front door opened. Santa and Mrs. Claus walked in to cheering voices and blown minds. They looked amazing. They looked Hollywood Christmas movie legit. Beautiful costumes. A real beard (on Santa, of course). Polished leather boots, ivory white fur on the hats, and a giant golden key that opens every home in the world convinced even the most skeptical kids that this was the real deal.
How on Earth does a family in Rehoboth ensure a visit from the Elvis of the North Pole for their holiday party?
They write a check. A big one, if they want the real deal. (Caution: Spoilers ahead.)
A high quality Santa can make $500 or more per gig.
The Santa at the Rehoboth party is actually a retired firefighter named Paul Evans. He’ll pull in 70 gigs before the season is over – an average of two per day. Getting into character is the easy part. Kids, however, can be a tough crowd.
“Once a little girl asked for a new puppy and an automatic pooper scooper for her dad,’’ he said.
“When kids ask for puppies and kittens, I tell them to ask the Easter Bunny. It’s too cold on the sleigh.’’
A Santa has to be quick in his seat, he has to look the part, and he has to move a lot faster than you would expect for a fat man. (Pro tip: Most of them aren’t fat.)
“I charge a lot of money,’’ said Santa Jim Manning, the official Santa for the City of Boston.
“My season starts in October. People are booking me as early as August,’’ he said.
Santa Jim has assistants. He spent more than $2,000 this year on wigs, beards and other supplies.
“It all adds up. It is a business and I’m one of the best,’’ he said.
Being the best doesn’t spare him from the annual demeaning duties. The kids are great, he said. Not a lot of screaming. Not as many peeing on laps as you might imagine. The parents, however, can make it hard out there for a Santa.
“The big challenge is the parents. They mean well. And my job is to get an amazing photo with your child. Sometimes, parents will treat you like an
Inanimate object.’’
Finally, Boston’s Official Santa works alone. It seems finding a reliable Mrs. Claus is harder than fitting through a chimney.
“I’m a solo Santa. I’ve worked with Mrs. Clauses, but I’ve never worked with the same Mrs. Claus.
They tend to be very resentful of all the Santa attention.’’
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