What it's really like to be a professional Santa Claus
Courtesy of Jim Manning
Sure, anyone can don a Santa hat, beard, and suit and invite parents to plop kids on their lap.
But to play a convincing Santa Claus that kids will forever cherish, and to make a living at it, you must become Santa Claus - and that process takes a lot of work.
For Jim Manning, a full-time children's entertainer who has played Santa Jim in the Boston area for 13 years, learning how to become the perfect Father Christmas meant attending a couple of Santa Claus schools, picking up tricks of the trade from other Santas, and learning the nuances of the job through trial and error.
When he's not making appearances at holiday parties dressed as the man in red or the guest of honor at the City of Boston Tree Lighting celebration, he keeps his skills sharp 11 months of the year as "Jungle Jim" of Jungle Jim's of Boston.
This professional Santa understands the value of a top-notch beard - no straggly, wispy nonsense or anything that could easily get pulled off - and knows that keeping kids happy requires getting on their level.
And perhaps most importantly, to truly transform yourself into the magical elf, Manning tells Business Insider that you have to really love kids - and believe that it's your job to be a beacon of hope and joy to them no matter what.
Below, Manning shares his personal journey of being a professional Santa Claus:
- Saudi Arabia wants China to help fund its struggling $500 billion Neom megaproject. Investors may not be too excited.
- I spent $2,000 for 7 nights in a 179-square-foot room on one of the world's largest cruise ships. Take a look inside my cabin.
- One of the world's only 5-star airlines seems to be considering asking business-class passengers to bring their own cutlery
- India's pharma exports rise 10% to $27.9 bn in FY24
- Indian IT sector staring at 2nd straight year of muted revenue growth: Crisil
- Shubman Gill to play 100th IPL game as Gujarat locks horns with Delhi today
- Realme Narzo 70, Narzo 70X 5G smartphones launched in India starting at ₹11,999
- Indian housing sentiment index soars, Ahmedabad emerges as frontrunner