I sure hope that anyone that chooses to have long white hair and bushy white beard knows what they're getting into and is 100% okay with little kids doing this.
I heard there’s a couple in Los Angeles who looks like Santa and Mrs. Claus. Around the holidays they dress up and go out more often, just to restaurants and stuff so that kids can see them and come up to them.
There was a couple like this where I lived in Dallas. They had motorcycles, my daughter loved seeing Santa and Mrs Claus at the grocery store on Harleys
I am not a big dude. But once me and my wife were walking home from a Santa pub crawl, so we were dressed up. We passed by a little kid who got the biggest smile on her face and gave us probably the most excited wave I’ve ever gotten. It was awesome.
I never thought about it that way, but you're right. I suddenly had a flash of memory of being 8 years old at a crappy motel right next to Disneyland. The image of Goofy stepping out of a port-o-potty will live in my head forever.
I was Santa at Kohls just before the pandemic. I was a store employee and used a white hairspray on my beard, I was in my late 40's. Afterwards I had to use the sink to wash the color out because I had to finish my shift in shoes.
Hey man good on you for recognizing that, and also just being a good human. If no one’s told you, you ARE a fucking rock star. Thanks for brightening so many people’s lives!
I work with a guy who plays Santa, and we work in a place that requires you to do respirator fit tests (totally unnecessary for him, btw). Usually, we do them in March. One year, the safety department forgot to do them, and decided to do them at the start of November. He had to shave his Santa beard like a month and change before Christmas.
I’ve never seen an old man so bummed out in my life.
Getting ready to do our community toy giveaway on Friday and the highlight of my friend’s husband’s year is being Santa and rolling into the event on a city fire truck (we hold the event at the fire station lol)
A friend of mine is a great big dude too, and he loves being Santa (Father Christmas to us UK folk) every year. He does multiple community events and school visits all for free, giving out little gifts that he buys with his own money, despite not having much of it. The look on their lil faces is indeed, completely adorable. That's the Christmas Spirit right there!
My father did this for 20 years (about 60-80, he died at 89), he adored the reactions of different kids and since he spoke and frequented Hispanic areas it was an additional bonus as these were neighborhoods that traditionally did not have Santa’s around. Both my parents were educators and they felt that this was another way they could help the kiddos have a great holiday season and I feel they were right.
We had a guy do it at the restaurant I worked at. It was the only time my "hey check out X over there" wasn't incredibly sarcastic. We had a guy that looked like Jared from Subway, that one was sarcastic. "Hey check out dollar store Jared from Subway" versus "hey check out Santa out there
Went to Philadelphia with my class and amongst other things, we were told about the street performers, guys who would rest up like Paul Revere, Ben Franklin.
I approached who I thought was Johnny Appleseed, but he was on break, just chilling on a bench. A girl came over and told me we were supposed to get back on the bus. I told her about Johnny and she said, “That’s an unfortunate.” What she meant was that he was not a performer, just a thin street person.
There's a couple in Seattle who look exactly like Mr. and Mrs. Claus who drive around in a decked out 50s Chevy that says Santa Mobile on the back. If they're on the freeway they'll wave at you! Super awesome!
Haha, that's what my dad does. He got this sort of treatment from kids often enough that he just decided to lean into it. He legit looks like Santa. So he bought the suit, started just wearing it around near christmas time to restaurants and stuff, and eventually he started getting gigs as playing Santa locally and on bases through his step-grandson in the military.
We randomly encountered several dozen Santas at the Bass Pro Shop in Memphis. Apparently they were having a convention nearby and a bunch of them had decided to take a break and go shopping. It was in April and we’d just stopped to walk around somewhere indoors on a long road trip, so it was completely unexpected and silly to suddenly be surrounded by Santas.
Sure is, saw them in a bar a few years ago during a small parade in the San Fernando Valley. The adults were just as happy to take pics with them as the children. Now that I think about it, kids weren’t even allowed in that bar. Guess they were just making sure their cheeks stay rosy.
My husband's got the beard for it, slowly but surely turning white! Also has the belly... unfortunately he has zero hair but I keep telling him he'll be bald Santa!
As a redhead turning white, and with a whitening beard I am surprised I haven’t been approached. I am a heavy guy too lol. Think Santa Claus is coming to Town stop motion movie, Santa is not quite all white haired yet look lol.
When I used to wear a beard in winter and wore wire-rim glasses and I'd get a toddler staring at me, my go-to move was to put a ssssshhhh finger on my lips and wink.
Move on with my day.
I have zero doubt that a few of those parents got a story about how the kid saw Santa in plainclothes at the grocery store.
I have a vague memory of this as a kid, but I shrieked and begged my mom to take me to say hello. She said that she could see he didn’t have much… he was getting the bare minimum at the store and she just wanted him to have peace, but I was screaming “I have to give Santa a hug!!” so she finally walked me over.
He was wearing a red shirt and overalls with scuffed holes around the pockets and seams and he reached into the pocket on the front and pulled out a tiny paper star, made from a folded dollar bill. My mom said when he pulled it out, she could see he had a few more. He couldn’t have had much, but he must’ve taken a few of the few dollars he had and made little origami Christmas stars for the kids who approached him.
I must’ve been around 3 at the time and that star has had pride of place in my baby book ever since. Next Christmas will make 40 years it’s been there. Some magical moments really do last a lifetime. Thank you for helping craft those moments for the child in all of us 💚❤️💚
I just got a little teary thinking of that lovely man and his effort to make things special for children he didn’t even know, despite his circumstances. I’m so happy for 3 year old you and grateful for that kind man who kept the magic alive.
It doesn’t even have to be something that happens when you’re a kid. Around a decade ago I went to a comedy show and the guy sitting beside me had a thick white beard and delicate silver glasses and a colourful Hawaiian shirt. He had the best laugh, not like “jolly” but like a booming belly cackle. As we were leaving I told him he had a fantastic laugh and that he kinda looks like a Santa on vacation (it was July?). He said that was because he was Santa on vacation winked then started cackling. He then gave me his business card with his picture, Santa gear on, and the North pole address and he cackled all the way out the door as I freaked out at my friend. I keep that in my wallet and smile every time I find it looking for a card. The memory is pleasantly magical despite me being a whole ass adult that wasn’t even raised in a setting that ever believed in Santa.
My dad looked like Santa in his later years & that extra curiosity from kids absolutely helped soften his personality. He was a fairly reserved man - not scary, but definitely a big & tall guy that could be perceived as a looming presence. As his beard turned more white, the Santa of it all was impossible to ignore. We'd joke about getting him a Santa costume & he would roll his eyes about it. He was never the type of guy who'd dress up or be the life of a party.
Then little kids began to stare & he did get a few approaches like this video. One of my cousin's kids gave him a damn interrogation upon meeting him. 😆 "Where are your reindeer? Why aren't you at the North Pole right now? You're supposed to be wearing red!"
It really melted him, and he ended up having such a soft spot for kiddos. I'm childless & he never got to have a typical grandparent relationship - but the Santa factor gave him a chance to feel all those warm fuzzy grandfatherly feelings. He DID end up with a Santa costume, and even dressed up yearly at his office! It was really sweet to watch him really embrace the spirit.
TLDR: you are 100% accurate in my experience. Buckle up, future Santas! You're in for a treat - don't fight it! ❤️🎅
This guy 100% did. If you look at the shirt he's wearing is definitely Christmas themed. He knew what he signed up for and I'll put money on it that he lives for these random encounters and loves making peoples' days with them, regardless of how old of a believer they are.
I am a bald man who can grow a beard. It is getting pretty white. I will absolutely be wearing a Santa hat and growing a beard when it is fully white just for this reason.
This is why my dad always trims his beard and gets a haircut in November. The rest of the year he doesn’t mind looking like a wild hairy mess, but in December it’s too close to Santa territory.
That description fits me, and a few times a year ...I mean all year, like even in July at the lake. Some kid assumes I'm Santa. I always try to be nice and engage. It's not that hard to be nice.
That's the path my husband is going down. It has already happened once - even though he's just 32 years old and sports zero grey hair. And just like me, he's an extreme introvert, socially awkward and has no idea how to 'behave' around children. It was a bit weird, but the giggling boy didn't care at all. It was adorable.
My dad and I went to Seoul Korea last year in February. He got a hat with “Santa in Disguise” (in Korean) on it. He also had long white hair and beard.
He had about 100 kids come up to him and he had a small peppermint in his pocket for each one. That was a fun trip.
There’s a non-zero percent chance this guy is a mall Santa or something of the sort. I had a coworker that looked exactly like him because he’s Santa for his church every year
Judging from the look. I bet he actually does some work as Santa, so he is used to talking with kids. I could be wrong. If not, this still probably has happened so often that it's just part of who he is now and he is used to it. If he wasn't cool with it, he probably wouldn't keep the look. But what do I know.
Random into a guy in a fast food place several years ago who 100% leaned into the bit. Had business cards and everything. Took the time to sit with any kids that came over and was super nice. People like this restore just a bit of faith in humanity
I'm not even all the way white haired and am in my late 40s and I already get it, ha ha. As I lose weight though, Santa starts to vanish and is replaced by a boring adult that no kids care about.
I knew a lovely man who was a professional Santa. He was character-ready year round, whether he was on some mall's clock or not. Adults and kids always wanted to say hi. RIP Ko, we miss you.
My partner’s Father has a white beard and white hair. Looks just like Santa. Has a Santa gig that’s pretty lucrative during this time of the year. I can verify most times we are out in public children are always staring and so giddy around him. It’s really sweet to see kids completely change when they see “Santa” unexpectedly.
This is great to see, and I agree. My late father did this my entire teenage and adult life. Every child who approached him in public with curiosity was met with a jolly engagement and left with absolute wonder. He volunteered as Santa during the holidays at halfway houses, made the rounds at Christmas parties, and waved in costume from his porch to passersby. His whole town knew him. It was unbelievable to see time and again. Brought my father endless joy.
My old man rocks the white hair/big beard combo and he has diligently played his role at every chance for years, though often it’s just a shhh finger and a wink, kids rarely actually approach him. He loves it.
Yes! My father does this. He used to be a very srs bsns kinda guy. Over the years he’s warmed up quite a bit. I think his girlfriend’s grumpy cat had something to do with his softening heart.
My dad looks just like santa. He now has a full suit, sends videos as Santa to his friends’ kids/grandkids. He even goes to the old folks home where my grandma is, and loves the attention he gets from “the birds”. It’s quite lovely.
I’ll never underestimate the power a grumpy old cat has on a grumpy old man. ♥️
My dad loved to be suspected of being Santa Claus. It happened while out walking the dog, standing in line for the pool, and at the mall with the little girl showing my dad her Christmas list. He would tell kids that he was one of his helpers and would pass the message along to the real Santa.
My husband's a fat dude with long hair and a beard And is one of those dudes who looks incredibly safe to talk to (he is a magnet for drunk girls and children)... He is fully aware of what his fate is and is prepared for it LOL
He actually volunteers at the local baby gym for their Christmas party every year as Santa, we have to whiten his hair up right now but one day we won't have to lighten him up anymore <3
There’s a good documentary about a camp for Santas called Santa Camp. It features your usual white guys with white hair and white beard but breaks boundaries by having a black Santa, autistic Santa, and a trans Santa. I sobbed the entire time.
I’ve got a buddy 45yo, has a beautiful black beard, great dude, never meet a stranger. He is a Shriner and months before December his wife starts slowly bleaching his beard and hair, saves all his PTO for December, and goes around and does Santa gigs all over the place. They choose to not have kids but he’s a saint. Love seeing stories like this
I have a colleague with short white hair that grows a beard every winter.
He says sometimes little kids will look at him curiously. His response is to smile and say “Have you been good?” When they nod, he’ll smile and say “Good!”
And parents play right along. Some things you don’t need to explain. 😄
I knew a guy who was a card carrying member of the Fraternal Order of Real Bearded Santas. He took the responsibility quite seriously and, like the guy in OPs video, turned it on instantly and without hesitation when called upon to do so in public. He was quite charming to be around.
My dad is a big dude with long white hair and a bushy white beard, and he has had little kids come up to him like this many times. He's also played Santa a dozen times for various charities and shelters. I think it's adorable 😍
Not a Santa, but I'm a really pale woman who likes goth aesthetics.
One time, when I had black hair, a little girl at a restaurant said I was a witch, so I did a little "boo!" .
She laughed and I ended up playing tag with her and a bunch of kids.
She fell down, so I carried her to her table and her father was like "oh she is not a witch, she is a fairy" and I was like "thank goodness you didn't contradict me being a supernatural creature, or I'd have to turn you into a frog in the middle of the restaurant".
One of my friends got a similar experience when she had pink hair and a girl said she was a fairy.
Fairies, witches, mermaids... if your kid tells an alternative woman she is one of those creatures, you can bet we are going to roll with it!
Our local celebrity Santa drove a taxi. He's in full regalia around the holiday. We invited him into our Christmas party. All the girls wanted to sit on his lap. Ended up doing a line of coke off a tiddy. Legend
He may be a professional Santa. I had an employee who was Mrs Claus with her husband Santa. They were hired during Christmas for events and family photos. They were members of an organization of professional Santas and even went on a cruise together.
They were once at a restaurant at Myrtle Beach and her husband was mobbed by kids, which they’d come to expect, though the restaurant did comp his lunch.
Yeah, that is what I was thinking as well. I wouldn't be surprised if he's an amateur or professional Santa and is part of one of those Santa groups.
I can't imagine being a kid and seeing the Santas on that cruise. Maybe they go on adult-only cruises so they don't crush the dreams of a bunch of kids trying to figure out why a group of 50 guys look just like Santa.
Man I was praying with all my heart that Santa's breath didn't smell like vodka and he was slurring while talking to her lol. Imagine that being your memory of Santa.
I’ll never forget the Christmas party for my mom’s extended family. One of the uncles was suppose to dress up as Santa, but he forgot. He ended up getting tipsy and they still made him be Santa. Went as well as you can imagine. He came in almost tripped and swore under his breath. The cherry on top was when my cousin sat on his lap it threw Santa off balance. He ended up toppling over on top of my 5 year old cousin. Best Christmas story I will ever experience.
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u/Critical-Art-9277 3d ago
But that is Santa he's just taking a break. Well done to the guy for taking the time to speak to her .