DESOTO, Texas – There’s nothing that dampens holiday cheer like a child screaming in fear of Santa, and any Santa with experience knows they haven’t truly earned their costume until they’ve mastered handling demanding photo requests from anxious parents with terrified kids.

These are just a few of the topics tackled during meetings of The Sleigh Masters, a collective of Santas and Mrs. Clauses who come together once a month at a workshop in suburban Dallas, run by Bill Dendy, a retired construction executive who now creates Santa suits.

“When parents approach me and their kid is crying, I usually say, ‘I’d rather not,’” Dendy, 67, explained to fellow Santas who chimed in with various strategies to manage the situation if parents insist—like having the parents hold the child or positioning the child in Santa’s chair with Santa standing nearby or even behind it.

Although being Santa may appear to be all fun and games, as the holiday season picks up and thousands of Santas head to malls, private gatherings, and festive parks across the globe, the Sleigh Masters highlight that embodying the iconic figure requires careful planning and awareness.

The members include both experienced Santas and newcomers eager to learn or seek tips on tricky situations and practical matters like costumes, beard maintenance, and insurance options.

“If anyone wants to practice a specific performance, we provide constructive feedback,” Dendy stated. “Recently, we had a custom bootmaker visit to discuss Santa boots. We strive to cover topics that are beneficial to the Santa community.”

During the group’s last meeting before the holiday rush, 14 out of its 30 members attended, celebrating in festive red costumes, handlebar mustaches, and sleigh bell ringtones. Dendy donned a waistcoat decorated with candy canes over a shirt designed with Christmas trees.

“In December Saturdays, there aren’t enough Santas to go around,” he noted. “Then in January, we have a big meeting to review everything we’ve learned.”

Like many Santas, Dendy started this journey by chance two decades ago, encouraged by his wife, whose company was hosting an annual Christmas charity event for a school in East Dallas.

“She informed me that the committee wanted to know if I would be Santa,” he recounted. “I responded, ‘Am I the only chubby guy they know?’”

Dendy reached out to a friend who was a children’s entertainer to borrow a Santa suit, and together they created a swing-dance routine for Santa and Mrs. Claus. This led to more invitations, and soon he was involved in various charitable events.

Eventually, he opted to turn professional, performing as Santa for car dealerships and various venues during the season. He launched Sleigh Masters to create a network for Santas to share insights and support one another in tackling the challenges of their roles.

The members of Sleigh Masters include a banker, an opera singer, a retired news anchor, and a former Disney World Santa, many of whom manage regular jobs while playing Santa on weekends.

Among attendees at the meeting were Eric Brown, who arrived in his “Santa-fied” Tesla Cybertruck with an inflatable Christmas tree in tow; Trish Viszneki of Dallas, a former entertainment industry professional who now portrays Mrs. Claus; Jacob Zufelt from Midlothian, who collaborates with a DJ for Christmas karaoke, which he refers to as “carol-oke”; and Betsy Modrzejewski of Keller, another Mrs. Claus who also works as the Tooth Fairy.

Christopher Saunders, a 45-year-old Santa from Tool, Texas, shared that he was initially hesitant about taking on the role. His wife Elizabeth now joins him as Mrs. Claus during their events.

“After my first event, a little girl spotted me from a shop window and squealed with joy,” said Saunders. “Nothing compares to that feeling.”

Being a celebrity has its perks.

“Going out as Santa is like hanging out with a rock star,” said Elizabeth Saunders. “You have to be ready for photos.”

Dressing the part, from boots to beard

There are many aspects of Santa’s responsibilities, and looking the part is crucial.

“You have to project the image,” said Kirby Kinney, a third-year member of the Sleigh Masters from Arlington who focuses on corporate events. “A genuine suit costs around $2,000. Anything less seems like what a dad would buy for Halloween from Party City.”

Footwear and accessories are also essential. Some Santas even bring their own throne-like chairs. To maintain appearances, beards and mustaches need regular care.

“Some of us use bleach on our beards to keep them bright,” shared Lee Crawford, 69, another third-year Santa from Arlington.

“No bleach here,” said Larry Davis, a Santa with sparkling eyes from Waxahachie while stroking his beard. “This is all natural. During a camping trip years ago, a woman told me I should be a Santa, and I thought, why not?”

Davis now performs alongside his wife Sherry as Santa Larry and Mrs. Mimi Claus. They focus on home and corporate events, but he particularly values his appearances at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport, welcoming troops returning from basic training.

Physical appearance matters too. Although many Santas carry extra weight, Phil Martin, who is on the slimmer side, mentioned that adults often react to him differently than children.

“I’m not as hefty,” said Martin, from rural Lake Fork, nearly two hours from Dallas. “Adults often say, ‘You’re not Santa, you’re Ozempic Santa.’ But kids don’t notice that; they see the costume.”

Indeed, adults can be a source of various challenges for Santas. Some have encountered overly enthusiastic Mrs. Clauses trying to steal the spotlight. Dendy recalled instances at home celebrations where parents expected him to provide a better gift to their child than the others.

“I will give the kid that nice present, but I always make sure to tell them it’s from their parents, not from me,” Dendy clarified. “People often overlook such nuances. Santa is all about fairness.”

Keenly, Kinney recounted an incident where his costume bag was stolen right before a mall gig.

“I set my bag down, and as I turned, a guy snatched it,” he explained to the group. “I heard the sound of the suitcase clicking shut and chased after him, but I tripped. Thankfully, mall security apprehended him.”

Dendy recommends that Santas invest in entertainer’s insurance, which safeguards their assets and protects against potential liability.

“I once warned a colleague, ‘Get the insurance,’” he recalled. “During one event at a grocery store, kids rushed him outside, and one child hugged his knees, nearly causing him to topple onto a toddler. All he could think about was the lawsuit.”

Saunders, the only Black Santa at the meeting, shared a shocking event he experienced at a Christmas event in a warehouse store, where a young man requested a photo with him and then inappropriately touched him during the pose.

“It was definitely inappropriate,” Saunders recounted wide-eyed. “I thought, ‘Quickly, let’s take this picture.’”

Elevating through the Santa ranks

Known as a “performance Santa,” Dendy specializes in engaging with audiences. He mentioned that some performing Santas showcase talents like magic or music, while others, including himself, focus more on storytelling.

“We leverage our individual strengths,” Dendy noted. “I’m not the magic Santa; I’m the Santa where the magic unfolds simply by my presence.”

He utilizes his storytelling abilities to provide in-depth responses, accompanied by maps, to children’s inquiries about how Santa manages to travel around the world in just one night. He goes into detail about the different kinds of fairy dust that enable reindeer to fly, reduce his size so he can slip down chimneys, or create a link between his toy bag and the North Pole to keep it stocked.

Dendy mentions that most families whose homes he visits as Santa request his return. He credits a lot of this to his meticulous record-keeping, planning, and follow-up.

During a meeting, he showcased a red binder labeled “2022 Santa Visits,” in which he noted appointments with dates, times, and contact details. He stated he has perfected five different Santa routines, each with its unique tales; he marks the routine used on the back of each appointment to ensure he doesn’t repeat the same one annually.

“I aimed to have five years’ worth of one-hour visits so if I visit the same family multiple years in a row, I can share varied stories,” he explained. “I’ve built quite a repertoire now.”

Dendy also sends out thank-you notes featuring a Santa photo along with a bag of chocolate-covered cranberries humorously tagged as “From Santa’s Stables: Reindeer Poop.”

Many Santas typically progress through different levels before reaching “performance Santa” status, he said. Most start by portraying Santa at friends’ or family events and then grow into “charity Santas” who volunteer at schools and hospitals.

“The next step up is what we refer to as ‘photography Santa,’ who works at malls or photo studios, where they just need someone who appears appealing and has a friendly demeanor,” Dendy noted. “I’m often astonished at how many photography Santas couldn’t even identify the reindeer’s names.”

According to him, the pinnacle is the performance Santa who engages with the public at events like in-store appearances or tree-lighting ceremonies. Dendy charges $300 per hour; while he doesn’t work the full 10-hour days that some other Santas do, “I’m able to invest more energy into each child I meet at the end of the day.”

Santa Claus ‘is the world’s safe space’

Santa doesn’t make promises.

“I tell them, ‘I’ll do my best to ensure you have the most wonderful Christmas,’” Dendy explained. “‘I did a pretty good job for you last year, didn’t I?’”

It’s not solely about toys and games while seated on Santa’s chair. The inquiries children bring can sometimes be challenging and deeply emotional.

Ed Taylor, a Santa from Oregon who leads the Worldwide Santa Claus Network with its more than 7,600 participants, mentioned that sometimes children ask if he is real. Others challenge with, “Santa, what’s my name?”

“Every child believes Santa should know their name,” Taylor observed. “What do you say to that?”

Dendy has experienced situations at children’s parties where older kids disrupt by claiming Santa doesn’t exist. He often responds by saying they are free to believe what they wish, and then quietly informs the host about the situation.

“You want to prevent the disruptive behavior of one child from affecting the belief of the others,” he remarked.

However, sometimes, he and other Santas face tougher queries: A child might ask, “I didn’t receive anything last year. Was I bad?” Others might wonder if Santa can mend their parents’ troubled marriage or help their sick grandmother recover. To address this, Dendy has started using small red books to show children that he has noted their wishes.

Rhyan Anderson, a Santa from Burleson, near Fort Worth, mentioned he now carries one of Dendy’s books during his visits.

“I’ll tell kids, ‘Santa’s a toymaker, and when I return to the North Pole, Mrs. Claus and all the elves will pray for you,’” Anderson said.

The essential aspect, according to the Santas, is to encourage children to express themselves and assure them of Santa’s support.

“Santa,” Christopher Saunders reflected, “is the world’s safe space. … There are negative experiences, but the positive ones far exceed them.”

Taylor, from the global Santa network, emphasizes to fellow Santas that their brief interactions with children can hold significant meaning.

“I cherish what Santa symbolizes,” Taylor said. “Santa embodies kindness and generosity, qualities that are timeless and transcend any specific belief system. I engage children in conversations about kindness and its importance –

“It’s not merely about receiving presents from Santa Claus, but about being good just for the sake of being good.”

As the meeting in North Texas wrapped up, Dendy said his goodbyes to his fellow Santas.

“I truly believe I have the best job in the world,” he expressed later. “I have the chance to chat with Santa Claus every day.”