A fake white beard and a worn red suit are no longer enough to compete in the cutthroat Santa Claus industry that has shopping malls, schools and private parties paying top dollar to hire the "real" St. Nick.
A Santa with a genuine beard, a soothing voice and that "magical touch" with children can earn between US$8,000 and US$35,000 from organizations looking to attract customers and spread holiday cheer, according to experts.
Santa can rake in an average of US$35 to US$50 an hour at the mall, and a cool US$150 to US$200 an hour for private parties.
"You want your best individual out there that represents [the mall] in a first-class manner," said Jim Ralston, manager of Potomac Mills mall outside Washington.
"I think it's the whole package: the looks, the demeanor, the personality," said Ralston, who interviewed several Santas before selecting one.
Clients hiring Santa for holiday work are requiring him to be as true to his image as possible -- and with good reason. More than ever, children are eager to give Santa's curly white beard a tug to see if Mr. Claus is the real deal. While Santa's holiday duties haven't changed he still listens to scores of children rattle off their holiday wish lists atop his knee jolly old St. Nick tends to be a more complete package than before. Each Santa swaps holiday tales with thousands of children and adults during the holiday season, a time-consuming task that can be exhausting. Macy's in New York estimates an average of 30,000 children will sit on St. Nick's lap this year.
"If you watch children around Santa Claus, their eyes sparkle, they glow," said Potomac Mills' Santa Claus. "To be a good Santa you have to want to do it because children are very smart," he said.
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