Introduction

Elizabeth Newton
Third Year Writing
Introduction


          As autumn winds down, children and adults alike begin to anticipate December 25th. On this morning, children rush down the stairs to see what is waiting for them under the tree. Wrapping paper is ripped off, cameras are flashing, and children begin screaming with joy. However, this excitement cannot be attributed to just this one day. No, this event has been in the making for weeks! It all began with a simple trip to the mall, a long wait in line, and the opportunity to sit for a few minutes on the lap of a giant man in a red suit. You guessed it, Santa Claus!
          Since making his debut in department stores in 1890 , visiting Santa Claus has become a time-honored tradition for most families. Though he can be contacted through mail and even e-mail, Santa prefers face-to-face contact. Unfortunately, with the growth in population and time constraints, the true Santa is unable to appear everywhere he is needed. Thankfully, he has a legion of men who have taken on the challenge of bringing Christmas to the masses. Every year like clockwork, they don red suits, white beards (both real and fake), and a jolly demeanor-choosing to put themselves to the torturous task of listening to the petitions of young children. After years of the grueling work, these men have formed a support community and culture of their own.
          Still, the real question remains, why do they do it? Why do these men choose year after year to forsake their personal boundaries and voluntarily allow children to crawl up on their laps and tell of their Christmas wishes? Could it be for the money? Availability of the job? Simply keeping the tradition alive? Or is it the desire to bring joy into the lives of children?
          The men who form this culture come from all different walks of life. These men may be rich, poor, married, widowed, divorced, old, young, African-American, Caucasian, or Latino. During the year they may be retired, lawyers, doctors, sales clerks, waiters, fathers, grandfathers, pastors, engineers, musicians, and more. Despite these possible differences, the joy of Christmas and passion for their portrayal of Santa have brought these men into a close-knit community. Member-exclusive groups have been formed, social networks created, and conventions are held each year for support. While some may view this as a temporary position, others treat it as a life-long career. Regardless, this is not a job to be taken lightly. It is a commitment to honor the traditions of Christmas and connect with children from all walks of life.

Archive

I will seek knowledge to be well versed in the mysteries of bringing Christmas cheer and good will to all the people that I encounter in my journeys and travels.

I shall be dedicated to hearing the secret dreams of both children and adults.

I understand that the true and only gift I can give, as Santa, is myself.

I acknowledge that some of the requests I will hear will be difficult and sad. I know in these difficulties there lies an opportunity to bring a spirit of warmth, understanding and compassion.

I know the "real reason for the season" and know that I am blessed to be able to be a part of it.

I realize that I belong to a brotherhood and will be supportive, honest and show fellowship to my peers.

I promise to use "my" powers to create happiness, spread love and make fantasies come to life in the true and sincere tradition of the Santa Claus Legend.

I pledge myself to these principles as a descendant of St. Nicholas the gift giver of Myra.
                                                                                                                                       -Phillip L. Wenz

This oath is representative of the image of the perfect Santa. It was officially published in 2008, having been inspired by two "prolific" Santa actors of the 1900s. Though most base good Santas on their appearance, real beard, nice suit, etc., here we focus on their actions.

The Santa Oath is said to have been accepted by nearly all Santa organizations as well as individual portrayers.

Three Cups of Tea

                Three Cups of Tea is a fascinating story of one man’s attempt to change the world. As a social entrepreneurship major, the story meant even more to me-this man has done what I can only dream to one day achieve. His list of accomplishments,  which range from scaling mountains to building schools to helping launch a non-profit organization, are truly incredible. It is amazing that he has done so much in such a short time.

His story is told in an interesting perspective. In the introduction we find that Greg Mortenson did not actually write this account. Rather, it was told and described by him to David Oliver Relin. Taking this into account, one must question the validity of the book. All throughout the book we find meticulous details and a large amount of dialogue. I must question how much was accurately remembered and how much was fabricated.

Regardless, this novel is an incredible depiction of life in the Middle East. Through it, we are able to experience the culture of many different people groups-feeling as if we are there in their midst. It is mesmerizing to learn of the slower pace, the religious rituals, and the organization (patriarchal) of this society. Though lingering at the beginning, the novel quickly picks up speed. We are continually transported back and forth from California to Pakistan, allowing the reader to feel the whirlwind of Mortenson’s life.

Dear Santa...

Dear Santa,

                It’s been awhile since we last talked, I apologize. People keep spreading terrible rumors about you! I will admit, I believed them for a while, but I have now come to my senses. I should never have doubted you.

                Seeing that it is March and not very close to the official Christmas season, you may find this letter a bit unusual. I am writing to ask you a favor. I am in college now, at Belmont University, and have a very interesting project for my 3^rd Year Writing class.  We are exploring various cultures and I have chosen to focus on your impersonators. I have been in contact with one such impersonator, several consumers, and even tried to gain access into a group known as the Amalgamated Order of Bearded Santas. I am having great difficulty with these people….they are a secretive bunch. Malls have withheld information and groups have even denied me access!

                For this reason, I have decided to go to the source….you. I am hoping you will give me more information on how you began this career, how you handle the stress, and how you are able to continue year after year (after year). You too are a secretive man. Movies have tried to answer these questions (Santa Claus is Coming to Town, The Santa Clause), but I do not know how reliable these are. Please help me to set the record straight!

                                                                                                 Your faithful believer,

               Elizabeth

PS: Thank you so much for finally granting me my childhood wish of a white Christmas! It was everything I had always hoped it would be. Feel free to grant another childhood wish…aka, Harrison Ford. You know my address- drop him off anytime. J

Importance of Visiting Santa

                Those who portray Santa at malls, department stores, and private venues would not be able to exist without those who visit them. This is mostly provided through parents taking their children annually. One such parent, Patricia Newton (my mother), had many thoughts on her experiences. She chose to begin these yearly visits when my sister and I were pretty young. Her reasoning was simple: “It was just one of those childhood things you do-you take your children to see Santa Claus.” However, this custom was never a huge priority for her or my family. If there was a long line or too many people, we avoided it. Trips were not planned solely around this event, unless it meant leaving an hour early to avoid the crowds and still have remaining time to complete errands.  Her thoughts were, she recalls, “I mean it wasn’t a big deal. I remember more doing the Salvation Army Angel Tree [then visiting Santa].”

Transcript

The following is a transcript taken of part of an interview I conducted with my mother. I tried to gain a consumer's perspective of Santa Claus.

Elizabeth: “How old were we when you first took us to see Santa Claus?”

Patricia (Mom): “Probably pretty young. You were younger than Stephanie because we would have taken you with her. At least a year old or later.”

E: “Why did you choose to take us to see Santa Claus?”

P: “It was just one of those childhood things you do- you take your children to see Santa Claus.”

E: “What was it like waiting in line to see him? Were there a lot of people? Like, what was the overall experience?

P: “We never waited in a long line, if there was a long line we wouldn’t have waited. It wasn’t that important. But there was usually a lot to see while you were waiting in line depending on which Santa Claus we went to.”

E: “Were you overall impressed with the Santas that you chose?”

P: “Hmmm. The singing one at Brookwood was nice; we just always went to the one in Jacksonville because that was the only one you could put up with.

E: “Was it the same one each time or was it a different guy?”

P: “ Must’ve been the same one. I know the one at Brookwood was the same for years because he sang.”

E: “Did you ever see a problem in teaching your, teaching Stephanie and I to believe in this fictional character?”

P: “ No, we didn’t make that big of deal of it..except for you and the foot prints.”

E: “I was a weird one.”

P:  “No, I mean if we had a problem with that we would have had more of a problem with Elfie.”

E: “Now, back to the whole experience thing, did you plan when we went to the mall we were going to see Santa? Like was that the purpose of going to the mall or was it like we were there ‘Oh, we might as well see him’?”

P: “Umm. I don’t remember. Probably we were there, well, we might of kind of decided to see Santa and that’s why we went early. We would go like right after school or early night hoping to beat the crowds that would come after most people got off work since daddy got off work early and I didn’t work. We could go at 4:00. But I mean, it wasn’t a big deal. I remember more doing the Salvation Army Angel Tree”

E:”Yeah.”

P: “Of course ya’ll were older when we started doing that, but that’s more of a ‘we got to the mall to get our angels.’”

My older sister, Stephanie, and I with Santa (November, 1991)