'Tis the season to be jolly

By KEN LEWIS

From late November to Christmas Day, hundreds of men around the country take on a seasonal job: they don red suits, white beards and black boots to enthral a new generation of wide-eyed children.

The mostly volunteer force will be roasted by summer sun, poked and prodded by sugar-hyped kids, and listen to long lists of demands.

Despite this, Santa will remain unrelentingly jolly and patient. He has to: children, parents, shopping mall tills and his income depend on it.

Suzie Shepherd, a recruitment consultant for Westaff, one of New Zealand's leading Santa employers, confirms that the red-suited figure is still a huge drawcard for children and parents during the Christmas shopping frenzy.

"Santa is often the best Christmas PR a mall can have," she says. "If the Santa is excellent, shoppers will tell their friends. If he's bad, he can make or break a mall's Christmas."

Westaff rigorously screens its Santas, who number 60 this year; 24 of them are new. They range in age from 18 to 82, and earn $14 an hour.

"Above all, they have to do it for the children, not the money. They are there to create an image," Shepherd says.

With police checks completed, the Santas - all men - are trained in the dos and don'ts of Santahood.

In each three-hour shift, Santa will never promise a specific gift - but he won't refuse either. He will certainly not promise to reunite parents, but, if asked, will confirm the existence of God.

His gloved hands will remain visible at all times, as will his friendly and generous demeanour.

Santa never slips out of character and will not smell of pre-shift drinkies or cigarettes. There will be no eating or drinking in public, but if nature calls, Santa may excuse himself to "feed the reindeer", all of which he can name. Above all, Santa loves children.

Albert Cater first played Santa for the Oddfellows Lodge in 1956. Now 82, and Westaff's oldest Santa, the ex-seaman is still ho-ho-hoing to hundreds of children daily at Westfield Pakuranga Mall.

He has seen 12-15-hour days in the suit and once became stuck to a chair after a four-hour stint sweating in the hot sun.

He has been punched, kicked and had his hair pulled by his young fans: "you just wish them a merry Christmas, give them a sweet and send them on their way", he confides. "I've seen it all and seen all ages: from a four-day-old baby to a 95-year-old woman."

He's had a cat brought in for a chat and had groups of patched gang members politely ask for a photo with the man in red. But it's children, he says, who bring him back year after year.

"I see children in a different light as Santa - I see the real child. They open up and tell me things they probably wouldn't say to other adults, including their parents. I have the time of my life."

But it's not only children who love Father Christmas. Gordon Nicol hauls his sack of presents to Christmas parties all over Auckland as president of the Airport Lions Club.

While children's parties remain his favourite, he and wife Linda are in increasing demand for rest home and hospice visits.

"Church groups sing carols and I follow from room to room giving out presents and chatting to the old folk. They love it," he says. "Some think I'm their late husband come back to see them. Others grab Santa's ears and steal a kiss, while Mrs Claus can sometimes be persuaded to sit on a gent's knee.

"There's a lot of banter and laughter, and let's face it, some of these people don't get any other visitors."

Nicol started his Santa career young, pulling wheelies on his motorbike round Masterton speedway for Christmas crowds 30 years ago. He's played Santa virtually every year since.

This year, he'll do up to 39 parties, rest home visits and street parades.

"I do it for the love of it," says the self-employed decorator. "You have never seen such joy on kids' faces as when they see Santa. And it doesn't matter what nationality they are - they all love him."

But some attitudes have changed. "Kids no longer want just a doll or toy truck - they want Playstations," says Nicol. And the growing "caution culture" around children has impacted.

Nicol and Cater agree that parents and children must always feel safe, but worry the spirit of Christmas will die. Cater is particularly scathing of Australian pre-schools that have banned Santa visits.

"All children should start life believing in fantasy. It's vital for their imagination - and having an imagination is vital for adult life," he says.

* Employment takes a break for Christmas until January 13.