Ep. 73: One Santa. Two Santa. Red Santa. Blue Santa.

[00:00:00] Mall of America. It's home to world-class shopping, great dining, and amazing attractions and events. And these are our stories presented by Bloomington, Minnesota Travel and Tourism.

[00:00:12] Welcome to So Much More. I'm your host, Dan Jasper. And I have to say today's episode is a very special holiday treat, but fair warning to parents. If you've got little ones tuning in, you might want to hit pause.

[00:00:26] You see, I had the opportunity to visit the Santa Experience right here at Mall of America and talk with some very special guests.

[00:00:34] We're about to lift the curtain on some magical secrets about the man in red. With that said, sit back and enjoy the behind-the-scenes conversations with Santa Sam, Santa Herman, and Santa Larry. Let's dive into the magic.

[00:00:51] And welcome again, audience. This is Dan. I'm at the Santa Experience at Mall of America with Santa Sam. Santa Sam, how are you?

[00:00:58] Hi. Good to see you.

[00:00:59] Thank you for taking time out of your busy day. I appreciate this.

[00:01:02] Of course. My pleasure.

[00:01:03] It's a busy time for you, isn't it?

[00:01:05] Yeah, it's really busy.

[00:01:07] I bet.

[00:01:07] It's a lot this time of year.

[00:01:09] Can you tell me how you decided to become Santa Sam and what makes you unique in this position?

[00:01:15] Great. Well, I was approached by Landon and Rachel, who own the Santa Experience.

[00:01:23] I've known Rachel since college. So that's where we met.

[00:01:26] So I didn't ever think I was going to be a Santa, but there were two moments in my life where I thought maybe it might happen.

[00:01:34] And one was I was cast as Santa in a musical in college. And then after that, I was doing a professional production, which was like this Nordic myth about Santa.

[00:01:46] It wasn't true. It wasn't based off anything that people know. And this older man was playing Santa.

[00:01:51] And I got sick and missed a week of rehearsal. And when I came back, I found out that the older guy, his knees were giving out.

[00:01:58] And so he had to quit the show. And they were like, hey, you're Santa. And I was like, well, I'm 25.

[00:02:03] And they're like, it's fine. It's fine. We'll figure it out. And I played it and I had a ton of fun.

[00:02:07] And I started playing the Santa character. And then a few years later, Landon and Rachel approached me and they were like, have you ever thought about being Santa?

[00:02:15] And I was like, I'm a little young. I was 33 at the time. And they were like, well, there's ways we can get you there.

[00:02:22] And I said, well, sure, we'll try it for a year. And I just fell in love with it immediately and really brought a lot of my theater and my improv training background into it, too.

[00:02:33] Oh, that's awesome. And Santa really is ageless, if you think about it, right? And timeless, right?

[00:02:38] Yeah, it's true. Yes. When kids ask, they say, how old are you? I say 865 or whatever number I thought.

[00:02:44] What do you think is so magical about children visiting with you here at the Santa Experience?

[00:02:49] The most magical thing for me is really getting to listen to the kids, having them come in and they talk to me.

[00:03:00] And I really try to listen. That's my big thing. I don't try to just do my thing. I really want to engage with them.

[00:03:07] And so when they come in and they see that I'm actually listening, I think that's when they light up.

[00:03:12] You know, when I'm really trying to connect and not just like, oh, what do you want? And then get them out.

[00:03:17] You know, like a lot of times I like to follow the kids leads.

[00:03:22] So like I'll come in and if they're shy, I'll, you know, we'll do the regular visit.

[00:03:26] But then if they're like Santa, I just fell. I fell down and I dumped my, you know, my my drink all over me.

[00:03:33] And I'm like, great. Well, how did that happen? And then we just have a really fun time.

[00:03:37] And I just like, you know, and, you know, with you never know what's going on in people's lives.

[00:03:42] And they just come in and we have a magical moment for a little bit.

[00:03:46] And yeah, just that that's what I feel like is the magic.

[00:03:50] I love it. I think I'm going to ask you again because I wasn't listening and I didn't hear.

[00:03:53] I'm kidding. Oh, OK. Oh, gosh.

[00:03:56] No, I'm kidding. I'm kidding. That was amazing. I loved it.

[00:03:59] Because it's so important because then they know you're with them. Right.

[00:04:02] And you're present with them. And if they're quiet or timid, you can tone it down.

[00:04:07] Oh, matching energy is like the number one thing I do.

[00:04:10] If they come in and they're boisterous, I get up and I start acting like a ham.

[00:04:14] But if I see them peeking around the corner, I like get out on the floor.

[00:04:18] I get really quiet. I really try to match it. And that a lot of times helps.

[00:04:22] You know, we really minimize crying and kids running away and stuff when we do that.

[00:04:27] And do you ever pick on the parents? I have to ask.

[00:04:30] I think there's a lot of dads on the naughty list. That's all I'm saying.

[00:04:32] There's a lot of dads on the naughty list for sure.

[00:04:36] Especially I'll pick. I only pick up parents when I've got the one who's like, who's really like poking me like they're like every time I ask a question,

[00:04:45] they're like, he doesn't pick up his room or they're just like making jokes.

[00:04:48] I will definitely throw it right back at them and give them, you know, just a little fun little jab.

[00:04:53] I love it. And they deserve it to be quite honest. That's all I'm saying.

[00:04:57] Yeah, because moms are incredible. Moms are like.

[00:04:59] Well, absolutely.

[00:05:00] Moms are doing the lion's share of the work, which is, yeah.

[00:05:03] I love it.

[00:05:05] Can I ask you, what is the most impactful thing a child has ever asked you or wished for?

[00:05:11] Well, I would say a few years ago, I had a visit where a child came in and it was right before Christmas.

[00:05:20] Like we were day, final days. And her mom was stationed in, you know, out of state.

[00:05:26] And she said, can I, can mom come home for Christmas? I would love to see my mom.

[00:05:32] And her mom was waiting in the back and she came through and the daughter just seeing her jump out of her chair and like not believe it at first.

[00:05:41] And then everyone's crying and the mom's hugging her.

[00:05:44] And, you know, that like, that's it. That's like the most important thing is family, you know.

[00:05:49] And she probably just missed her so much because, you know, how many months she's been gone in between, you know.

[00:05:54] And this is a, like a nine or 10 year old. I don't remember exactly, but yeah.

[00:05:58] I love it. What a wonderful memory and magical. How would you answer, how do you answer a child who asks for something like that, but we don't have the parent here?

[00:06:07] You get some, I would assume you get some difficult questions.

[00:06:10] Oh, absolutely. And how do you do that?

[00:06:12] Well, you just have to, you have to remind them that like, well, they're always here, even if they're not physically here, you know, your parents are, they never leave, you know, even if they're, they're gone.

[00:06:22] You know, some, you know, some parents obviously are no longer with us and just really comforting them and being like, you know, dad or mom aren't here anymore, but they still love you.

[00:06:33] And they still, they're still proud of you and you're doing a great job, you know, and yeah, just taking, just comforting them as much as possible and making them feel good, you know.

[00:06:43] Yeah.

[00:06:44] And that's what they want, right? They want somebody to connect with them.

[00:06:46] Is there something that you tell every child who visits you or if you could share a message with every child, what might that be?

[00:06:53] Well, a question that I always ask is, are you kind?

[00:06:57] And that is to me, the most important is, are you kind?

[00:07:01] Because that, that is, that is the simplest thing and it's, it's the most impactful thing that they can do.

[00:07:08] If you're kind and, and always like, you know, approach things with a, lead with love is what my wife always says.

[00:07:16] Whenever you feel anger or frustration with someone, just like lead with love because that person might be going through something right now.

[00:07:23] And I really like, yeah, just be kind.

[00:07:27] That is the, that is the number one thing, especially at Christmas time, but always.

[00:07:31] Yeah.

[00:07:31] Is to just be kind and nice.

[00:07:33] I love that for all the adults listening and watching.

[00:07:37] Are you kind?

[00:07:38] Are you kind?

[00:07:39] I just want to make sure you heard that.

[00:07:41] That's the most important one.

[00:07:42] I don't care if you're brushing your teeth.

[00:07:44] I care that you're kind.

[00:07:45] Brush your teeth also.

[00:07:46] I do, but you should brush your teeth too.

[00:07:47] Yeah, yeah.

[00:07:48] That would be good.

[00:07:49] Yeah.

[00:07:49] Can I ask another question for you really quickly, if I may?

[00:07:52] If you could ask Santa for anything, what would you ask for?

[00:07:57] Oh, just.

[00:08:00] Ooh, this is a good one.

[00:08:02] This is a good.

[00:08:02] The real Santa.

[00:08:03] Who I work for.

[00:08:06] I would hope that everybody just knows love.

[00:08:10] Yeah.

[00:08:10] That you, that everyone in the world knows love.

[00:08:14] Right.

[00:08:14] Because it's the most important.

[00:08:16] I love it.

[00:08:17] And for the children at heart that are listening and watching.

[00:08:21] Yeah.

[00:08:21] Share a holiday message for them, if you would, right into the camera.

[00:08:25] Well, Merry Christmas.

[00:08:27] We did it again.

[00:08:29] Another Christmas season.

[00:08:30] You're crushing it.

[00:08:32] It's, you know, things get hard.

[00:08:35] And, you know, there's times of ease and times of difficulty.

[00:08:39] But just keep at it.

[00:08:41] And I love you.

[00:08:43] Good, good job.

[00:08:44] So, yeah.

[00:08:45] Santa Sam, you are amazing.

[00:08:47] Thank you.

[00:08:47] I am so proud to call you my friend.

[00:08:49] Thank you for taking the time.

[00:08:50] Thanks for visiting, yeah.

[00:08:51] And never forget this holiday season.

[00:08:52] You are crushing it.

[00:08:54] You're crushing it.

[00:08:56] What an incredible glimpse into the magic with Santa Sam.

[00:08:59] But the story doesn't end there.

[00:09:01] Stay tuned to hear from Santa Herman and his amazing tales.

[00:09:06] All right.

[00:09:07] And welcome back.

[00:09:08] I am so excited to have a conversation with a good friend of mine, Santa Herman.

[00:09:13] Santa Herman, how are you?

[00:09:15] It is so good to be with you today.

[00:09:17] You know, especially with it being so close to Christmas.

[00:09:21] I can't believe it.

[00:09:22] It came up really quick this year.

[00:09:24] Can you believe that?

[00:09:24] It came so fast.

[00:09:25] I am not sure I'm ready.

[00:09:27] Of course, the question everyone wants to know, am I on the nice list or the naughty list?

[00:09:33] Well, can you tell Santa something that you've been doing to be nice this year?

[00:09:36] I've been very kind to a lot of people and holding the door open.

[00:09:40] You've been kind to a lot of people and you've been holding the door open.

[00:09:43] That is very nice.

[00:09:44] Well, I have to say you're definitely on my nice list then.

[00:09:47] All right.

[00:09:47] I'm going to keep that up too.

[00:09:49] I would love to visit if we can to talk about Santa Herman,

[00:09:52] how you came into doing this role, what your backstory is and what you love about it.

[00:09:59] Oh, wow.

[00:10:02] Well, this is my ninth season, I believe, here at the Santa Experience.

[00:10:07] The first six or so years were spent with Santa Sid as his elf, an elf known as Mistletoe,

[00:10:13] the mischievous elf, full of Christmas spirit, magic tricks and all sorts of things.

[00:10:17] And when Santa Sid stepped away from them all, then I had a conversation with Lando and Rachel

[00:10:25] and said, hey, I would love to transition from being an elf to a big ho-ho, to be a Santa Claus.

[00:10:33] I like it.

[00:10:33] So you, in essence, were promoted.

[00:10:36] If you can say that, yes.

[00:10:38] I like it.

[00:10:39] I like it.

[00:10:39] Job well done.

[00:10:40] That's all I can say.

[00:10:42] Oh, thank you so much.

[00:10:42] It's fun going from lead elf to head elf.

[00:10:45] I love it.

[00:10:46] And a little known fact that some of our viewers and listeners may not know, Santa Herman,

[00:10:51] is that you are the first bilingual Santa here.

[00:10:54] Is that correct?

[00:10:55] Well, I'm the first English-Spanish bilingual Santa here.

[00:10:58] We also have Santa Alan, who is bilingual in English and Cantonese.

[00:11:02] Oh, wonderful.

[00:11:04] Yeah, our first Asian Santa here at the mall.

[00:11:05] It's awesome.

[00:11:06] I love it.

[00:11:06] So you speak Spanish as well.

[00:11:09] Can you share a greeting to our guests that may know Spanish?

[00:11:12] Oh, of course.

[00:11:13] I wish you a happy Christmas to all.

[00:11:16] Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho.

[00:11:18] I love it.

[00:11:19] Thank you for sharing that.

[00:11:20] Now, what I'd love to do is learn a little bit more about your role here and maybe some

[00:11:26] of the fun things you've heard and some of the challenges.

[00:11:29] So can you start me with maybe one or two stories of wishes or things that children have

[00:11:35] asked that you thought were just amazing?

[00:11:37] You know, every year you get to hear all these wishes from children on what they want for

[00:11:43] Christmas.

[00:11:43] But on top of that, like I asked yourself, I ask every child, what have you been doing

[00:11:48] to be nice?

[00:11:49] Because you hear all sorts of cool things about how they're helping classmates out or, you

[00:11:55] know, how they're helping mom and dad or just all sorts of different nice things that these

[00:11:59] kids have been doing to be nice.

[00:12:01] And some of these stories are just absolutely phenomenal and heart touching because, you

[00:12:05] know, they might be helping take care of grandma or grandpa or they're helping take care of

[00:12:10] somebody or they're, they went the extra mile and they'll tell you that they unloaded the

[00:12:14] dishwasher without mom and dad having to ask, which is just really cool.

[00:12:18] I love that.

[00:12:19] And have they asked for anything really unique?

[00:12:22] What, maybe do it this way.

[00:12:23] What's one of the craziest things you've asked that you've been asked for?

[00:12:27] And what's one of the most sincere things you've been asked for?

[00:12:29] You know what?

[00:12:31] I've been asked, I asked actually just today, I was asked for a reindeer.

[00:12:37] Somebody wanted one of my real live reindeers.

[00:12:39] And I told them that unfortunately, I need all nine of my reindeer to pull the sleigh.

[00:12:45] And you know that I might be able to get them a stuffed one instead.

[00:12:49] I love it.

[00:12:50] So that was a really fun request.

[00:12:52] Definitely really a big request.

[00:12:55] Might be hard to part with that one.

[00:12:56] Absolutely.

[00:12:57] How about a sincere or heart touching one that you may have received?

[00:13:00] You know what?

[00:13:01] I, I absolutely love, um, yet again, today I had another kid come in and she has told

[00:13:08] me that she had just given away all of her toys that she has to kids who won't have a Christmas

[00:13:15] and that she didn't need anything because there's kids out there that need it more than

[00:13:19] her.

[00:13:19] And I had another kid who told me that they didn't want anything from Christmas for me

[00:13:23] because they were really good at saving their allowance and they felt better when they were

[00:13:28] buying things themselves.

[00:13:30] That's amazing.

[00:13:31] And that's being nice.

[00:13:32] Yeah, that is, I've never experienced that before.

[00:13:35] It's just some of those great, unique stories that you hear because when you get to see, you

[00:13:40] know, as many kids as we do here.

[00:13:42] Yes.

[00:13:43] You get to hear all sorts of things and you know, just that's really heart touching.

[00:13:48] I love that.

[00:13:48] It warms the heart.

[00:13:49] It does.

[00:13:50] And, and it's so fun to see because you see children of all ages, including up to adults,

[00:13:55] right?

[00:13:55] You know what?

[00:13:56] Because parents come here and ages, newborn all the way to even a hundred.

[00:14:00] I have grandmas come in and you know, they're so excited to get a picture with Santa and

[00:14:04] tell Santa even at 100 years old what they want for Christmas.

[00:14:08] So it's great to see that inner child in both, you know, children and adults alike just completely

[00:14:13] shine through.

[00:14:14] The season is about family and love and joy, right?

[00:14:17] Family, love, joy, giving.

[00:14:19] It's just, it's such a great time of year to bring out the best in everyone.

[00:14:24] And over the years that you've done this, you've probably encountered one or two crying

[00:14:29] babies, I'm assuming.

[00:14:31] How do you handle a baby that maybe is a little frightened of the beard?

[00:14:35] You know what?

[00:14:36] Um, we, we get a lot of crying babies, uh, from time to time.

[00:14:41] And fortunately we have a really great staff that have, uh, some really great tricks up

[00:14:47] their sleeve as far as the photographers go.

[00:14:49] And they're really good at helping, um, helping these little kids being able to take a good

[00:14:55] picture.

[00:14:55] But I also try to tell them and explain to them that, Hey, listen, I'm just a toy maker

[00:15:00] who likes toys like you do.

[00:15:02] And all I want to know is what you want for Christmas.

[00:15:05] And yeah, I love that.

[00:15:06] So I have to ask as a toy maker, what is your favorite toy to make?

[00:15:11] Do you have a favorite?

[00:15:12] You know what?

[00:15:13] I love all toys.

[00:15:15] That's why Santa is the toy maker because I love all toys possible.

[00:15:19] And I don't have a favorite.

[00:15:20] There's not one over another, but whether it be trains or Legos or dollies or teddy bears

[00:15:26] or stuffies or squish mellows or even shoes.

[00:15:29] I love them all.

[00:15:30] You make them all.

[00:15:30] That's, I mean, you and your team of elves make them all.

[00:15:33] You cannot forget about all of my elves.

[00:15:35] They're hard.

[00:15:35] Without them and Mrs. Claus, I could not do it at all.

[00:15:38] I love that.

[00:15:39] And she's a good baker too, that I hear.

[00:15:41] Oh, the best Christmas cookies this side of the equator.

[00:15:44] I love that.

[00:15:45] And then can I ask when you finish a visit with a child or a family, do you share a

[00:15:51] special message with them at all?

[00:15:53] Or how do you say goodbye to people that visit you?

[00:15:56] You know, every year I change up what I say.

[00:15:58] Um, and I, this year I've been telling everybody that I asked them if they can do Santa just

[00:16:04] one more favor.

[00:16:05] And that favor is if they can between now Christmas and even after be kind to each and every person

[00:16:10] they meet because we need a lot of kindness in this world.

[00:16:13] I love that.

[00:16:14] That's a very good message.

[00:16:15] If you could wish one wish for every child, what might that be?

[00:16:20] Oh, that they never forget the magic of Christmas and what Christmas spirit does to their heart.

[00:16:26] I love that.

[00:16:27] That's such an awesome wish.

[00:16:29] And would you mind just one last time for our audience wishing everyone who's listening

[00:16:33] and viewing a Merry Christmas?

[00:16:37] Ho, ho, ho, ho!

[00:16:39] Merry Christmas!

[00:16:40] Feliz Navidad a todos!

[00:16:42] Ho, ho, ho, ho!

[00:16:43] I love it.

[00:16:44] And from all of us, Santa Herman, we want to say Merry Christmas and thank you for the

[00:16:48] joy you bring.

[00:16:49] Well, Merry Christmas to you and thank you for all you do here at the Mall of America.

[00:16:53] Thanks for joining us.

[00:16:54] Ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha!

[00:16:57] Ho, ho, ho, ho!

[00:16:58] What a fun time visiting with Santa Herman.

[00:17:01] But don't leave yet because I'm about to share my conversation with Santa Larry and his unique

[00:17:08] journey and some more secrets from the North Pole.

[00:17:11] I am so excited to continue our conversation with the one, the only, Santa Larry!

[00:17:18] How are you?

[00:17:19] I'm doing just great.

[00:17:20] How are you?

[00:17:20] I am well.

[00:17:21] Thank you for taking the time to visit with us today.

[00:17:23] Thank you for asking.

[00:17:24] I would love if we would start by looking at our audience and telling them all, wishing

[00:17:29] them all a happy holiday.

[00:17:31] Some message.

[00:17:32] Hi, this is Santa Larry and I want to wish you all a Merry Christmas!

[00:17:37] Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho!

[00:17:38] You heard it straight from the top of the heap right here.

[00:17:42] So we're all going to have a magical Christmas.

[00:17:45] Yes, indeed.

[00:17:46] Santa Larry, can you tell me how you started becoming Santa Larry and maybe some of the lessons

[00:17:52] you've learned along the way?

[00:17:53] Oh, that's a great question.

[00:17:55] Actually, it started when I was like 11 years old.

[00:17:58] Oh, wow.

[00:17:58] My father came home and he was down on his back.

[00:18:00] He was a World War II veteran and a Korean War veteran.

[00:18:03] And he had some injuries.

[00:18:05] And that particular year, he came to the house, had the pickup truck loaded with toys, and

[00:18:12] he called my mother out and he could barely walk.

[00:18:15] So he sent my mom in to get me and they brought me out to the truck.

[00:18:20] And I said, yes, dad, do you need help getting out?

[00:18:22] He says, yeah, but I need for you to do something else.

[00:18:24] I said, what is that?

[00:18:26] He says, Larry, I got to tell you something.

[00:18:28] He says, I says, what?

[00:18:29] He says, I'm Santa and your mom's Mrs. Claus.

[00:18:33] And I said, what?

[00:18:37] I was 11 years old, living out in the country in Nashville, Arkansas.

[00:18:40] I love it.

[00:18:41] And I started laughing.

[00:18:42] My dad says, Larry, I'm serious.

[00:18:43] So here's what I need for you to do.

[00:18:45] And I said, what do you need for me to do, dad?

[00:18:47] He says, I need for you to help take all these toys off the back of this pickup truck in this

[00:18:51] camper.

[00:18:53] And you're going to get the toys out that barn and you're going to put them in the house

[00:18:56] for the family when everybody goes to sleep tonight.

[00:18:58] And I says, for real?

[00:19:00] He's like, yes, but you can't tell nobody.

[00:19:02] I trust you.

[00:19:04] And my mother says, Larry, you can't tell nobody.

[00:19:07] I says, OK.

[00:19:08] So everybody went to sleep that night.

[00:19:10] We had a big house on a farm ranch.

[00:19:12] Sure.

[00:19:13] Everybody went to sleep that night.

[00:19:14] My mom got me and snuck me out the house.

[00:19:17] And I started moving presents and toys out of that pickup truck into the house and from

[00:19:23] the barn into the house.

[00:19:25] And by the time I finished, I was exhausted.

[00:19:27] And my mother says, Larry, you're going to make a great Santa Claus one day.

[00:19:32] And those were the spoken words my mother spoke over me during that time period.

[00:19:36] I love that.

[00:19:37] And we loved Christmas at our family.

[00:19:39] Yeah.

[00:19:39] I mean, we had a big family.

[00:19:40] I'm number 11 of 13 children.

[00:19:42] So we loved Christmas.

[00:19:45] So afterwards, my mom says, Larry, I want you to lay down and go to sleep.

[00:19:48] And you're going to wake up.

[00:19:49] And you're going to wake everybody else in the house and let them know that you saw Santa

[00:19:52] Claus putting presents under the tree.

[00:19:54] And he's taking off.

[00:19:55] I love it.

[00:19:56] And I said, OK.

[00:19:57] So I laid down for, I thought, was maybe like three, four hours.

[00:20:00] Actually, it was a short time period.

[00:20:02] Sure.

[00:20:02] My mother woke me up.

[00:20:04] And she says, it's time to wake up everybody and let them know Santa's been to the house.

[00:20:07] So I woke up.

[00:20:08] All my siblings, my nieces, my cousins, they were all at the house.

[00:20:12] It was incredible.

[00:20:14] And I started saying, wake up, guys.

[00:20:15] Santa's been here to the house.

[00:20:17] He's loved lots of toys, bikes.

[00:20:20] There was easy bake ovens, knock them, rock them, sock them, robots.

[00:20:24] All the classics.

[00:20:25] Oh, the bicycle, the banana bicycles, a skateboard.

[00:20:29] We had skateboards and we were out there skating on old paved road.

[00:20:31] You know what I mean?

[00:20:32] Sure, sure.

[00:20:32] Hit the rocks, you'll flip off, you know?

[00:20:34] But it was just so funny.

[00:20:35] It was that moment that I really enjoyed Christmas.

[00:20:38] And you knew this was what you wanted to do.

[00:20:40] Exactly.

[00:20:41] Exactly.

[00:20:41] But then you fast forward.

[00:20:42] I was in the military.

[00:20:43] Yep.

[00:20:45] And it was 2009, in December of 2009.

[00:20:50] I called my brother Charles.

[00:20:52] He's the baby.

[00:20:53] I called my brother Charles.

[00:20:54] I says, Charles, are you taking your boys to see Santa Claus?

[00:20:56] And he says, no, I'm not.

[00:20:58] I says, why not, Charles?

[00:20:59] It's Christmas time.

[00:21:00] He says, I'm not.

[00:21:01] The boys are tired.

[00:21:04] They're sick and things of that nature.

[00:21:06] I says, don't worry about it.

[00:21:07] I found a Santa suit at Walmart for $29.99.

[00:21:12] And I am going to put that suit on.

[00:21:14] I'm coming to your house.

[00:21:14] I'm going to be Santa Claus for Chris, Camby, and Kobe, my little nephews.

[00:21:18] I love it.

[00:21:19] My brother Charles forgot.

[00:21:21] Now it's December 15th.

[00:21:22] I roll up to the house.

[00:21:23] I'm in my Santa suit.

[00:21:25] I have my pillowcase as a Santa bag.

[00:21:30] And all this fake hair on and everything, you know, this nylon hair.

[00:21:34] And it was just really funny.

[00:21:35] So I knocked on the door.

[00:21:38] I heard my sister-in-law, Monica, says, children, who's at the door?

[00:21:41] And they says, we don't know, mommy.

[00:21:43] She says, well, open the door and see.

[00:21:45] She had forgotten I was coming.

[00:21:47] And all of a sudden, they open up the door.

[00:21:49] And there I am.

[00:21:50] I says, ho, ho, ho.

[00:21:52] Merry Christmas.

[00:21:53] And they slam the door in my face.

[00:21:57] My sister-in-law, Monica, says, boys, who's at the door?

[00:21:59] They says, mommy, it's Santa Claus.

[00:22:01] She was like, what?

[00:22:02] She said, well, let him in.

[00:22:04] And these three little boys opened the door.

[00:22:07] And they let me in.

[00:22:08] And they started screaming, Santa Claus, Santa Claus.

[00:22:10] I said, yes, it's Chris, Camby, and Kobe?

[00:22:13] Yeah.

[00:22:13] Yes, Santa.

[00:22:14] I said, well, I've got some presents here.

[00:22:15] I'm delivering presents to you guys first.

[00:22:17] Yep.

[00:22:17] And then I'll come back on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, OK?

[00:22:21] And I was only there for 15 minutes delivering those little special toys

[00:22:25] I purchased for my little nephews, Chris, Camby, and Kobe.

[00:22:29] And I left the house.

[00:22:30] And next thing you know, my sister-in-law is calling me.

[00:22:32] She says, oh, my gosh.

[00:22:33] Asked the boys if they knew who that was.

[00:22:35] And they says, yes, mommy, it was Santa Claus.

[00:22:36] It was Santa Claus.

[00:22:37] It was Santa Claus.

[00:22:38] Of course it was.

[00:22:39] Yeah.

[00:22:40] And you made their holiday.

[00:22:41] Absolutely.

[00:22:41] And from that point on, I started doing it for the community there in Dallas area.

[00:22:45] I did it for the stew pot, the homeless shelter, for my military institution,

[00:22:49] my military installations, and things of that nature.

[00:22:51] And it just kept taking off.

[00:22:52] And people kept asking for me.

[00:22:54] And I said, OK, great.

[00:22:55] And so finally, when I retired from the military, I decided, honey,

[00:22:58] I'm going to grow my beard.

[00:22:59] And I'm going to become a full-time Santa Claus.

[00:23:01] Here we go.

[00:23:02] Here we go.

[00:23:02] And you have been at the Santa Experience here at Mall of America for nine years now?

[00:23:07] Yes, since 2016.

[00:23:08] I was only here for four days.

[00:23:10] I love it.

[00:23:11] And it went around the world.

[00:23:12] It did.

[00:23:13] I remember that.

[00:23:14] I met you that very first year.

[00:23:15] Yeah.

[00:23:15] It was amazing.

[00:23:16] And you visited with so many thousands of kids.

[00:23:19] Yes.

[00:23:20] Over the years.

[00:23:20] And I love children.

[00:23:21] Oh, my goodness.

[00:23:22] It's so much fun.

[00:23:23] Yes.

[00:23:23] What do you love most about visiting with kids who come to see you?

[00:23:26] Oh, it's just the magical moment.

[00:23:28] You know, they're so happy to see Santa Claus and just to share their wishes with Santa Claus.

[00:23:34] And just to see that gleam, their little twinkle in their eyes,

[00:23:37] and the happiness and that hope and that joy.

[00:23:41] Absolutely.

[00:23:41] And it's just, it's so special.

[00:23:43] It's so special.

[00:23:44] And they dress up so nicely, don't they?

[00:23:46] Oh.

[00:23:46] So many pajama sets.

[00:23:48] I've never seen so many, right?

[00:23:49] Lots of pajama sets.

[00:23:50] But also, parents are bringing their children very stylish.

[00:23:54] Yes.

[00:23:55] Oh, I saw a child in a gown, a beautiful beaded suit and gown and all the other kind of stuff.

[00:24:01] It was really neat.

[00:24:02] I love it.

[00:24:02] So they want those Christmas cards or those pictures to be perfect.

[00:24:05] So that's why I have to look very magical.

[00:24:08] Well, I must say that not only magical, you look perfect as well.

[00:24:11] Oh, you're so kind.

[00:24:13] Thank you.

[00:24:13] Can I ask you a couple of questions?

[00:24:15] Yes.

[00:24:15] One is, what is maybe a lesson you've learned being Santa Claus that has helped you grow?

[00:24:22] Oh, the lesson I've learned about being Santa Claus is the fact that anybody can be Santa Claus.

[00:24:28] Santa doesn't have a race.

[00:24:29] Yep.

[00:24:30] It's magic.

[00:24:31] It's magic.

[00:24:32] It's in your heart.

[00:24:33] Yes.

[00:24:33] And I love sharing that joy, hope, happiness with everybody I could possibly share it with.

[00:24:39] And that's why my logo or my website is Santa Claus for All.

[00:24:43] I love it.

[00:24:44] Yeah, I'm a Santa Claus for All.

[00:24:46] And that's how it should be.

[00:24:47] Exactly.

[00:24:47] I have Santa for All and Santa Claus for All.

[00:24:50] So you now have the websites there.

[00:24:52] Which I love as well.

[00:24:53] And if you could make a wish for all of the children in the world, what would you wish for the children in the world?

[00:25:00] If I could wish anything for the children in the world would be for them to grow up without any hate, fear in their lives.

[00:25:09] I would wish for them to have love, hope, and be progressive and to be great and outstanding citizens and to do something that's outstanding to help change someone else's life.

[00:25:21] I love that.

[00:25:22] And one last question, if I can, Santillari.

[00:25:24] Yes.

[00:25:24] If you could ask for one wish for yourself, what might that be?

[00:25:30] Oh, wow.

[00:25:31] You'll make me cry.

[00:25:37] Children.

[00:25:39] Children.

[00:25:40] I love that.

[00:25:41] Yeah.

[00:25:42] You know, I recently got married and, you know, we're elderly, so we don't have any children.

[00:25:47] And I love kids.

[00:25:49] Yeah.

[00:25:51] So, I want children.

[00:25:52] So, we're in the process of trying to adopt a boy and a girl.

[00:25:56] I love that.

[00:25:57] So that we can help them grow and be successful in life.

[00:26:01] I love that.

[00:26:01] Yeah.

[00:26:02] Thank you.

[00:26:02] So, that's, you know, that's all.

[00:26:03] Thank you for being such a kind, loving person and an amazing Santa.

[00:26:10] So, one last time, Santillari, if you don't mind, would you just give a holiday greeting and a farewell to everyone who's watching and listening?

[00:26:17] Absolutely.

[00:26:18] It's the most wonderful time of the year.

[00:26:24] Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho.

[00:26:29] Ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho, ho.

[00:26:33] Thank you for joining us on this magical journey behind the scenes with Santa Sam, Santa Herman, and Santa Larry.

[00:26:40] Please listen and subscribe to so much more on your favorite podcast platform and give us a rating.

[00:26:45] We'd really appreciate it.

[00:26:47] And, of course, be sure to visit the Santa Experience located on Level 1 South right here at Mall of America.

[00:26:53] And you can make an appointment at www.thesantaexperiencemn.com.

[00:26:59] And remember, the magic of Santa isn't just in the suit.

[00:27:04] It's in the kindness, joy, and wonder we carry in our hearts.

[00:27:08] Maybe, just maybe, there's a little Santa magic in all of us.

[00:27:13] Until next time, stay merry and bright.

[00:27:19] Thanks for listening to so much more, a Mall of America podcast.

[00:27:23] Subscribe wherever you find your favorite podcasts.

[00:27:25] This show is presented by Bloomington, Minnesota Travel and Tourism.