Not simply a seasonal gig

Honestly, what’s most fascinating about the paper isn’t those 3 essential classifications, however the individualized looks it provides of individuals who select to end up being expert Santas. While a couple of Santas may make 6 figures, many do not, and might even lose cash being Santa– they do it anyhow for the large love of it. Expert Santas generally do not see the function as seasonal; lots of construct their identities around it, whether they fit the stereotyped Kris Kringle image or not. “My sensation is, if you’re Santa all the time, you need to live as Santa and quit whoever you are,” stated one topic. “I’m simply aiming to be a much better individual.”

They’ll use red and green throughout the year, for example, or preserve a complete white beard. One Santa qualified himself to make “Ho, ho, ho!” his natural laugh. Another remodelled his home as “Santa’s home,” total with Christmas trees and Santa figurines.

Often it’s deemed a function: a gay expert Santa, for example, intentionally reduces his sexual preference when playing Santa, total with partnering with a Mrs. Claus for public looks. A female Santa who goes by Lynx (expert Santas generally take on pseudonyms) who is likewise a church leader, compares the task to a magnificent calling: “I can link with individuals and advise them they’re liked,” she stated. (She likewise binds her breasts when in outfit since “Santa does not have them double-Ds.”)

Maybe that sense of a greater calling is why even non-prototypical Santas like Lynx stand firm in the reality of periodic rejection. One Black Santa remembered being rejected the position at a huge box shop once the recruiter learnt his ethnic background, informing him the shop didn’t work with Black or Hispanic Santas. “That injured my heart a lot,” he stated. A handicapped Santa who utilizes a scooter throughout parades remembered being slammed by other expert Santas for doing so– however stayed with it.

And while Bad Santa (2003) may be an enjoyable vacation watch, real “bad Santas” captured cigarette smoking, drinking, swearing, or otherwise acting wrongly are not popular figures within their neighborhood. “You’re never ever off,” one subject believed. “You lose a bit of your identity due to the fact that you can’t let your hair down and be yourself. You do not understand who’s enjoying you.”

“You’re Santa Claus 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 52 weeks a year,” another Santa stated. “If you act out, you run the risk of shattering the magic.”

DOI: Academy of Management Journal, 2025. 10.5465/ amj.2023.1161 (About DOIs).