Santa Claus Glossary

Santa Claus- Man in red suit and white beard who promises toys to young children (aka Father Christmas, Saint Nick, Kris Kringle)

The List- a record kept by Santa Claus with which he categorizes children based on their performance throughout the year

Beard- an essential part of Santa's appearance; must be white; can be fake, but preferably real

Elf- generally a young adult dressed in a green and red suit who assists Santa in quieting crying children, taking photographs, taking admission, and passing out candy canes

Throne- Santa's chair where he talks with children about what they want for Christmas

Interview #1

During class on Wednesday, I had the opportunity to interview Cylia about her experiences with Santa Claus. I began with a simple question: Did you ever believe in Santa Claus? Cylia's response was: "Yes, and part of me wants to still believe in Santa Claus." We began to talk about childhood experiences of Santa and the importance or potential problem with this belief. Cylia was never able to visit a mall Santa, but did have the unique experience of seeing Santa every Christmas Eve at her grandmother's house. Here someone in her family would portray Santa, pass out toys, and allow the children to sit on his lap. Cylia treasures these experiences- "I love Santa, I love everything about Christmas."

The most surprising element of my interview was Cylia's response to my last question: Do you think this portrayal of a fictional character has a strong impact on a child's life? Though some may take her answer to be borderline sacrilegious, her tone did not indicate this. She equated belief in Santa to belief in God. "[A child's belief in Santa] is like the adult version of atheists and believers. You will always have the kids who believe and don't believe.....belief in Santa allows kids to believe in things or else they won't believe in anything."

Santa's Workshop

I attempted to draw a picture of a fairly typical arrangement of a mall display of "Santa's Workshop." For the culture I am studying, this is their major place of work. Here, children of all ages, shapes, sizes, and color come to sit on Santa's lap and tell him what he or she would like for Christmas. This diagram includes the camera stand, the cash register, a que line, and, of course, Santa's throne.

What does it take?

What does it take to be a good Santa Claus? For my site, there is a list withing the "Santa Oath" describing the characteristics of a good Santa. This allows insiders as well as outsiders to better understand the effort of performing well in this field. Additionally, one sees the goal of a good Santa and the message he is conveying. This list shapes the identity of current Santas and our view of those who portray him.

Original: When one sees a man with a large, white beard, their mind typically goes to a thought about Santa Claus. Ever since Coca Cola standardized our symbol of St. Nick, images always include a fluffy white beard and red suit. Groups even exist honoring the Santa impersonators who have real beards and do not rely on fake stick-ons. It is apparent that Santa portrayers gain status of the elite through this icon.

Revised: The mind often goes to a thought of Santa Claus at the sight of a large, white beard. Coca Cola standardized this symbol by always including a fluffy white beard and red suit in images of St. Nick. Groups exist to honor the Santa impersonators who have real beards and do not rely on stick-ons- classifying these men as the “elite.”

Field Note Observations

I was surprised that out of the 5 or 6 people I encountered during my observations, the male students never acknowledged my presence. The female students, however, all made eye contact with me at one point. They appeared to be more aware of their surroundings- constantly looking around at people walking through or sounds made. The men, on the contrary, we lost in what they were doing. One male student was in the corner doing what appeared to be homework while listening and rocking back and forth to his music. In the thirty minutes I was there, I never saw him look away from what he was doing.

 One thing that intrigued me was the girl sitting at the table near me. She appeared to be very anxious or nervous about what she was doing. Also, as she got up to leave from the table, I noticed she was wearing high heels. As she walked, she seemed to be very unsteady on her feet, as if she was not used to wearing them. Since he outfit was very casual, I wondered as to why she chose to wear heels.

The thing that disturbed me was the phone conversation the girl sitting across from me had. She has tried several attempts to call someone, but apparently no one had answered. She finally made contact with someone and appeared to have a quiet argument. During my whole observation of her, she seemed upset or angry about something.

 I had my computer with me for the assignments, so I simply copied by notes onto this blog.

Massey 3^rd floor

1.       Girl

a.       picking at chick. Sand.;

b.      listening to head phones/watching something on her computer

c.       seems focused, not very excited to watch it. Class assignment?

d.      Makes a phone call-no one answers/ or voicemail.

e.      Bored- picking at nails, biting fingers

f.        Hopefully unaware of me watching her

g.       Trying phone call again-  looking very perplexed, sucking on lips, playing with eye brow- made contact, looking angry. Talking quietly., noticed me watching her.

h.      Dress, belt, ugg boots- red computer

2.       Guy in back corner,

a.       relaxed, headphones in, typing on computer;

b.      must be listening to music, gently swaying to something and tapping his feet,

c.       starts to randomly stretch his neck,

d.      getting more into his music- tapping feet and hands, head moving up and down

e.      completely oblivious to the rest of the world

3.       Girl at table,

a.        very focused, headphones in, hw;

b.      appears stressed or nervous. Deep sighs,

c.       using I pad

d.      Taking a break

e.      Awkwardly made eye contact, as if to say, “Why are you watching me?”

f.        Packing up-random time to leave for class (1:25)

g.       Difficulty walking in heels

h.      Left for computer lap…..noticed I was watching her?

4/5. Two guys at table- helping each other with work.

a.       Appear to be slightly older- grad students or seniors?

b.      Eating wendy’s.

c.       Younger guy appears to be helping the older.

d.      Younger using hand gestures to explain something to the older- wearing toboggan

e.      Older, dressed as if to appear younger- hoodie, tshirt, jeans

Girl can’t decide where to go….starts to walk through the lobby and turns around, turns back around and walks through

Older men and women walking out of the elevator and disappearing down the hall

Lobby- very quiet. Gentle hum of the vending machines, crinkle of potato chip wrapper….elevator occasionally opening- dinging

No one sitting near another, all with our own designated spaces.

Walls filled with posters advertising school of business  and one random mirror.

Copy machine, recycle bins

Girls noticed me-guys didn’t

Full Project Proposal

Elizabeth Newton
3^rd Year Writing: 1:00 Class
February 2, 2011

Project Proposal

            I must admit that I am an individual who is not afraid to enjoy Christmas year-round. Christmas music is never absent from my IPod, nor do I find it a sin to listen to it in the spring, summer, or fall. This being the case, I naturally have picked a Christmas-related topic for my project. However, it is related to an aspect of Christmas I find troubling. Our society has polluted the true message of Christmas to one centered on an icon. It is this icon I wish to explore: Santa Claus and the culture of individuals who portray him.

 My main research question will be: Why do you choose to dress up as Santa Claus? Additional questions I will research are as follows: Does this job give you a greater appreciation for Christmas, or does it have the opposite effect? What do you do in the off-season? How did you first begin this job? Do you feel your presence distracts from the true meaning of Christmas? Etcetera.

I will also explore different customs and variances in Santas. For instance, through my preliminary research I have found conflict between those with authentic beards and those without. I am also curious to know if there is a difference between Santas who appear in malls and those who work smaller venues.

To gain insight into this profession, I will explore groups such as The Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas, Santa’s Rampage, the Santa Claus Network, and other related sites. Most importantly, I will attempt to access information by contacting malls, such as Green Hills and Cool Springs, and large department stores, such as Bass Pro Shop, to interview their Santas. Personal interviews will provide me with the most thorough answers to the questions I have proposed.

I am definitely an outsider of this culture and will never be able join (closest I can come is Mrs. Claus). This is a male-exclusive group. While this will create some difficulties in my research and understanding, it will also provide a unique perspective.

As I previously mentioned, I have a deep appreciation for Christmas, but a hesitation about the tradition of Santa Claus. I hope this assignment will help me and my reader see another side of this figure and deepen our love for Christmas.