For many, the sound of Christmas is Mariah Carey's high notes or Slade's raucous shout. But for the professional Santas who don the red suit (and sometimes green) each year, the festive soundtrack takes on a whole new meaning. We spoke to several UK-based professional Father Christmases about the songs that make their season magical, the ones that test their patience, and the heartwarming, hilarious realities of life as St. Nick.
The Joys and Challenges of Being Santa
Nigel Harvey, known as Santa Himself, describes the role as "a calling." His most moving moment came visiting a boy in hospital who hadn't spoken for six months after an accident. "When we got talking, the room fell silent and people started crying," Harvey recalls. The power of Santa, he says, is profound. For Paul Fessi, the magic is in universal delight: "As soon as Santa comes along, everybody melts." He fondly remembers a little girl whose guinea pig leapt from her hand and "dived straight into my Santa beard."
Meanwhile, Cleve Freckleton, who performs as Rasta Claus, created his character while teaching at a school for children with special educational needs. Uncertain how kids would react to a Black Santa, he found parents loved the idea of a "different" Santa for children often classed as "different." He cleverly handled one sceptical child by claiming to be "Santa's cousin," a relation the boy accepted because they both had white beards.
Logistics, however, are a challenge. Joseph Ridgely notes the costume gets "very hot," and a trip to the loo is always an operation. Keith Leech, a former science teacher, finds he needs a beard trim on Boxing Day to finally "get rid of him."
Festive Anthems: The Santas' Playlist
When it comes to musical favourites, the Santas have strong and varied opinions. Paul Fessi loves Eartha Kitt's Santa Baby for getting adults up to dance, and the purity of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer. For Arnold Warneken, the Green Santa who wears a pre-Coca-Cola green outfit, the standout is Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas? for highlighting global inequality.
Cleve Freckleton prefers classics that evoke the feeling without mentioning the day: Baby It's Cold Outside, Winter Wonderland, and When a Child Is Born. Joseph Ridgely's top pick is Kelly Clarkson's Underneath the Tree, thanks to a choreographed Santa show dance that got families involved. Keith Leech remains a traditionalist, favouring the perennial jollity of Jingle Bells.
Nigel Harvey's choice is Jona Lewie's Stop the Cavalry, praising its bouncy rhythm and heartfelt plea for peace. Simon Anthony, a classical music buff, prefers Prokofiev's instrumental Sleigh Ride, which he associates with the launch of BBC Two.
The Songs That Try Santa's Patience
Even Santas have their festive limits. For several, overexposure is the real culprit. Cleve Freckleton states plainly, "I'd rather hear something different than hear Mariah Carey for the 1,000th time," suggesting a grime Christmas song or punk Silent Night.
Arnold Warneken can't stand the "cheesy" and "really irritating" 1948 novelty hit All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth by Spike Jones. Joseph Ridgely dislikes When Santa Got Stuck Up the Chimney "for obvious reasons," though he jokes about it with children.
Keith Leech finds himself driven "nuts" by overplayed anthems, specifically name-checking Slade's Merry Xmas Everybody and The Waitresses' Christmas Wrapping, though he admits the latter's riff is an "earworm." Simon Anthony recalls finding Donny Osmond's Christmas songs "particularly distressing" as a child, but now you "grin and bear it for the love of Christmas."
Perhaps the most poignant aversion comes from Nigel Harvey, who dislikes Nat King Cole's The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot because "it's just so sad." He understands that heartbreak, having consoled a child who worried getting one present versus a friend's thirty meant they were "naughty."
From the dancefloor to the grotto, these professional Santas show that the festive spirit is about more than just presents. It's about creating magic, sharing joy, and, yes, occasionally enduring a song you've heard one too many times—all for the love of Christmas.
