More than a holiday job
Honestly, the most intriguing aspect of the study isn’t the three core types it outlines but the intimate portraits it offers of those who elect to work as professional Santas. A handful may earn six figures, yet the majority do not—and some even lose money performing as Santa—still they continue out of pure passion. Many professional Santas treat the role as integral to their lives rather than merely a seasonal position; they often shape their identities around it, regardless of whether they match the classic Kris Kringle stereotype. “My feeling is, if you’re Santa all the time, you have to live as Santa and give up whoever you are,” one participant said. “I’m just striving to be a better person.”
Some keep red and green in their wardrobes year-round or preserve a full white beard. One performer trained himself so that “Ho, ho, ho!” became his natural laugh; another transformed his home into “Santa’s house,” filling it with Christmas trees and Santa statuettes.
At times the work is performed as a role: a gay professional Santa, for example, intentionally conceals his sexual orientation while in character and appears publicly with a Mrs. Claus. Conversely, a female Santa who uses the name Lynx (many pros adopt stage names) and also serves as a church leader describes the position as a spiritual vocation: “I can connect with people and remind them they’re loved,” she said. (She also binds her chest when costumed because, in her words, “Santa doesn’t have them double-Ds.”)
Perhaps that sense of mission helps nontraditional Santas like Lynx endure occasional rejection. One Black Santa recounted losing a big-box-store gig once the interviewer learned his race and said the store didn’t hire Black or Hispanic Santas. “That hurt my heart so much,” he recalled. A Santa with a disability who uses a scooter in parades said other professionals criticized him for it—but he kept going.
And while Bad Santa (2003) may be an entertaining holiday film, real-life “bad Santas” — those seen smoking, drinking, swearing, or acting inappropriately — are frowned upon within the community. “You’re never off,” one subject observed. “You lose a little bit of your identity because you can’t let your hair down and be yourself. You don’t know who’s watching you.”
“You’re Santa Claus 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year,” another Santa remarked. “If you act out, you risk shattering the magic.”
DOI: Academy of Management Journal, 2025. 10.5465/amj.2023.1161 (About DOIs).
