30 Times People Put A Funny Twist On Pics With Santa In Malls

Some things never change. That's what some of these Santa performers must think when they get visitors who keep coming back even as they grow up. One pair of brothers has a whole slideshow of pictures with Santa over 30 years, eventually adding their own children to the picture!

Want to know another thing that never changes? A Canadian mall Santa who has been doing the job every Christmas season for 35 years says that although the types of presents that kids ask him for have changed with the introduction of more electronics, Legos are a classic that have stuck around.

Professional Santa performers⁠—and, yes, they say the job requires somebody who can put on a show⁠—who are really serious about their craft go to Santa training schools with whimsical names like "Northern Lights Santa Academy." There, they learn not only lore about the role and how to accurately talk about reindeer, but the business practicals of self-promotion and getting private bookings.

There's also increasing demand for not just Santa performers, but also Mrs. Claus, say women who have stepped into the role in recent years. Maybe soon you'll be able to choose which visitor from the North Pole you'll want to take your kids to visit.

Performers say that while playing Santa pays well, it takes a large investment at the start for a quality costume. And, of course, a great love for Christmas spirit and children, not to mention a philosophy of kindness and wisdom that follows them all year round.