PlanetChristmas December 2007 Newsletter

It's About Time! 

Welcome to your December 2007 edition of the PlanetChristmas newsletter!  It is published regularly and covers relative topics for the Christmas decorating enthusiast. 

Here's what you can read about in this December 2007 newsletter:

• Three Amazing Christmas Displays
• PlanetChristmas goes to Bronner's and setting the record straight
• Can You Be Santa Claus?
• Tips of the Month
• PlanetChristmas Shameless Promotion
• Rudolph's Rumor Run
• Your PlanetChristmas Forums Signature
• PlanetChristmas Radio, and our new NORAD feed!
• Newsletter Suggestions
• And finally...

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Three Amazing Christmas Displays

I'm incredibly lucky to be able to see so many spectacular Christmas displays.  To be honest, I've never seen a bad one, but there are some that are very special.  I want to clue you in on three that are really out of the ordinary for 2007.

Mike Ziemkowski has combined all sorts of technologies to make his home truly dazzle the people that have the pleasure of watching.  A mix of video, music and computerized lights make this show very unique while also  making me envious.  Watch the video wreath, notice the DMX based theatrical lights and don't forget to say ho, ho, ho when told.  See the video at http://www.lightsondisplay.com/2k7.html (zoom in and watch it on a full screen if you can) and read about the rest of his display at http://www.lightsondisplay.com/.  This one is definitely a wow!

Keith Glover attended PLUS2007 and had a vision of transforming his three acre campground into a Winter Wonderland with a zillion LEDs flashing to music and fully controlled by 1100 light channels from his computer... and he had never attempted a synchronized light display before.  I suggested he might want to scale back the first year so he could better grasp the technology.  Keith and his daughter Mickey didn't listen to me and created a spectacular display using over 1300 channels of control, mini-trees, mega-trees, leaping arches, flying stars and just about everything else you've read about in the PlanetChristmas forums.  I had the honor of standing in the middle of this drive through display and get all the details from Keith.  This display is really stunning.  If you're in east Tennessee, make an effort to see what creative people can do on a large scale. Watch a great video at http://www.shadrack.com/christmas/ but this is one where you really need to see it in person!

Most of us are used to outdoor Christmas displays and we've been to our fair share of drive-through light parks.  I got a call last week from Joe Jankowski and he talked about some of the special things he had done for 2007.  The more he described his display the more I couldn't figure out what he was doing.  When I asked some question he said I was missing the vision entirely.  He had taken the equivalent of an outdoor drive through display and made it into an indoor walk through display.  Then I saw the pictures.  Amazing!  See what Joe has done through his MySpace page at http://profile.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewprofile&friendid=230172970  

Know of other incredible displays?  Let me know about them by shooting me an email at csmith@planetchristmas.com

Don't forget to see the PlanetChristmas Showing Off section at http://www.planetchristmas.com/ShowingOff.htm to see what others have done with their displays this year (and get a few ideas of your own for next year.)

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PlanetChristmas goes to Bronner's... Ooooops

Got in a bit of hot water in the last newsletter by saying Frankenmuth, Michigan, the home of Bronner's Christmas Wonderland, wasn't close to anything.  To be fair, there's a lot of activity going on in the area.  Here's an excerpt of an email I received from the area's Visitors Bureau:

Chuck: We would love to change your perception of our area.  Frankenmuth is 20 minutes from Bishop Airport in Flint, 30 minutes from MBS International in Saginaw and just 90 minutes north of Metro Airport in Detroit.  Saginaw County is the home to over 1500 individual events & festivals annually. Also we are Michigan's 2nd most visited county because of our vast selection of year round attractions and the home to the Midwest largest outlet shopping mall.  The community of Frankenmuth has 809 hotel rooms, with over 3,200 in the Saginaw Valley.  Our largest hotel, the Bavarian Inn Lodge, has 360 Bavarian themed rooms and can accommodate groups up to 500.  Our area would be very interested in bidding on the next annual convention.  We would like to host a site visit for the selection committee as our guests.  Please let me know how we can move forward.  I look forward to working with you!  MERRY CHRISTMAS!  Wendy J. Scott, Director of Convention Sales, Saginaw Valley Convention & Visitors Bureau. 

I hope this sets the record straight!  .)

 

This month’s major topic:  Can you be Santa Claus? 

Anyone can be Santa Claus.  Santa is about the spirit in your heart and the love of giving to others.  Whether you’re a secret Santa at the office or the Santa in the last float of the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day parade, take pride in what you’re doing to make this a wonderful time of year.  If you give more than you receive, you are guaranteed success. 

I want to dress up like Santa Claus! 

Being Santa Claus carries a lot of responsibilities.  People see a good looking Santa and want to believe the best.  Santas in cheap outfits that take no pride in what they’re doing make Christmas bad for the rest of us.  If you’re going to be Santa, do it correctly from the beginning. 

Learn from my mistakes. 

I decided to try and be Santa to further the Christmas experience for all the kids that would stop in front of my house to watch the lights.  The local department store had a “Santa-in-a-box” outfit for $29.95.  The suit was made of a bright red corduroy imitation material with some sort of white fuzzy stuff for trim.  The jacket had no buttons and you put it on like a t-shirt.  The pants had a drawstring for a belt.  The wig looked like a bunch of cotton balls glued to a skullcap.  You attached the white eyebrows with double-faced tape and the beard was a strip of white imitation fur with an elastic strap to go over your head 

I knew I was in trouble the first time I put that suit on.  I looked at myself in the mirror and considered how non-Santa-like I looked and felt.  I made a few modifications to the outfit by stuffing a pillow under the top to fill it out, wore a pair of glasses and got some white gloves.  I figured I was close enough to looking like Santa since it was dark along the street in front of my house. 

I didn’t even consider how Santa Claus talks to others.  Ho ho ho only goes so far before a child starts to cry or wants to ask a question.  I have a vivid memory of stepping outside as Santa Claus, walking down the driveway, seeing a car stop, windows roll down and three kids start screaming for Santa Claus.  I thought this was going to be great!  I walked to the car, bent down and saw those eyeballs fixated on me.  All I could think of saying was ho ho ho.  One of the parents said “Look, it’s Santa!  Why don’t you tell him what you want for Christmas?”  Three kids started talking at the same time and all I could say was ho ho ho.  It was a blur after that and all I remember is those kids looking at me with so much anticipation.  I needed to work on my act because I surely didn’t make a good first impression.  I was a semi-Santa. 

For several years, each night I would go outside and try different lines on the children.  I soon mastered the way to ask kids what they wanted for Christmas so parents could hear and take notes.  I learned how to banter with children and grown-ups yet never commit to any specific gifts.  I taught myself how to handle the smallest babies as well as the most obnoxious teenagers.  I even learned how to nudge kids back into believing in Santa Claus when they were right on the edge of not believing.    

Here are ten tips to be a Santa.  They are hard earned and guaranteed to work.  Practice each of them and you’ll be a great Santa Claus!  

The Secret Ten Santa Tips:  

1.  Get a high quality Santa suit.  Go to the Internet and search for “Santa Suit”.  You’ll be surprised how many places sell and/or rent them.  Prepare to invest at least $250 USD to buy a good package including, zip up jacket, pants, belt, boot tops, high quality beard, wig and a hat.  I strongly believe you can’t spend too much for the outfit.  It’s just too easy to make a poor impression with a cheap outfit.   

A good suit is made of a rich, deep red fabric that people want to touch, trimmed in bushy, stark white fur.  The belt should be several inches wide with a huge buckle in the front.  The pants can have a drawstring to cinch them and pockets are very desirable to stash the keys when traveling by four wheeled sleigh.  

Must outfits come with shoe toppers to make you look like you’re wearing boots.  If you don’t have some real Santa boots, make sure you wear black socks and simple, polished leather shoes to go with the shoe toppers.  I have a retired pair of plain, fancy-go-to-church shoes I’ve dedicated to Santa footwear.  If you have the option of getting the shoes a little large, that’s good, because many times you’ll want to wear thick socks if it’s cold outside or you’re walking around much of the time.  

Bottom line:  if you look like a real Santa, you’ll feel like a real Santa and have the confidence to act like a real Santa.  

2.  Accessorize your Santa outfit.  Santa is overweight and people expect to see a chubby Santa.  If you aren’t naturally big enough to fill out the jacket, stuffing a pillow in your outfit will work, but check the Internet for real Santa padding.  The professional padding is more proportional to how real people look, plus it has straps to anchor things down on your body.  

Wear glasses, preferably, clear rimless or wire rimmed.  In almost every picture you see of Santa, he is wearing glasses.  Stay away from glasses with bold frames or you’ll distract from the overall appearance.  You should also buy a bottle of anti-fog glass cleaner.  You’ll discover that your breath behind a big beard fogs the glasses pretty quick.  I always spray my glasses just before Santa makes an appearance.  

Make sure you have the best wig and beard available.  You can spend $10 for a cheap set and get what you pay for, which ends up distracting from the overall Santa package.  You can also spend $200 for a beard and wig made from real yak hair that looks like human hair.  Over the years, I’ve bought and used more wig and beard sets than I can remember.  The best seem to cost $60 to $90.  You get stark white hair that is full bodied and is comfortable when you wear it.  Unfortunately, you’ll get pretty hot indoors, but at least your hair will look good.   

Get some temporary white hair color to cover your eyebrows, mustache or any other facial hair you might have.  Most costume shops can provide the hair color in very small bottles.  Even though you’re wearing a wig and beard, remember children will be very close to you and looking at everything.  If Santa has a white beard and hair, nothing looks worse than non-white eyebrows and/or a dark mustache peeking out.  

Buy several pair of white gloves.  You’ll be touching a lot of people and many of them aren’t the cleanest in the world.  The gloves offer a little protection and add to the overall appearance.  When one pair of gloves become dirty, toss them in the washer and wear another pair.  

Get at least one bell of some sort to ring.  Part of the Santa myth includes the sounds of the season and everyone can relate to bells.  I have a couple of wrist bands with several one inch bells attached.  You jingle while you walk, wave and move about.  People love it!  You can also use the bells by shaking your wrist to regain the attention of small children when they start looking elsewhere.  

Always carry a small bag filled with individually wrapped candy canes.  It’s amazing how people react after talking to Santa and he slips them a candy cane.   

3.  Talk to the person at their eye level.  This is how you tell a mediocre Santa from a great Santa.  If you’re walking and a small child wants to talk to Santa, squat down so you’re eyes are the same level as the child’s.  You create an immediate bond.  If you’re sitting and a grown-up wants to talk, stand-up and get to their eye-level.  Of all the methods Santa uses to make a connection with people, this is the most important.  

4.  Work on your ho ho ho.  Sounds pretty corny, but the audible queue people react to most is Santa’s famous ho ho ho.  It has to rumble from the bottom of your stomach and erupt from the mouth as a deep, forceful, yet natural sound.  Practice in your car or when no one is around.  Record your ho ho ho and analyze the results.  Don’t take the Santa sound for granted.  It’s a vital part of the whole package.  

5.  Practice your Santa banter.  Many children clam up tight when their parents force them to talk to Santa Claus.  Put yourself in their small shoes.  Here’s this fat man, dressed in a strange red suit, has too much hair and is wearing an odd looking hat.  It can be very intimidating.  For many kids, it is very intimidating. 

Here’s a typical conversation: 

Santa:  “Hi!  What’s your name?”
Child:  “mumble, mumble, Phil.”
Santa:  “Hello, Phil.”
Child:  “My name is Bill!”
Santa:  “I’m sorry, Bill.  I’ve still got snow in my ears while flying down from the North Pole tonight!” (at the same time, you’re tapping the palm of your hand against your ear as if trying to knock some snow out.  The child starts to relax.)
Santa:  “Bill, what do you want for Christmas this year?”
Child:  long pause, a lot of looking around and panic is starting to set in.
Santa:  “Bill, I bet you want a new Barbie doll this year.”
Child:  “Nooooooooooo!  I want (a long list goes here.)” 

You’ve put the child at ease by saying something ridiculous and they begin to open up to you.  Works every time!  

You must also remember Santa Claus plays a vital role for the parents.  Many times, just as the child is about to speak, you’ll see one or both parents/grandparents lean in to hear what the child is about to say.  Your job as Santa is to repeat whatever the child tells you so everyone can hear.  I’ve seen parents actually taking notes.  Many times, parents have no idea what the child wants and there’s a look of total surprise when Billy says “I want a Batman outfit” or whatever the trendy toy of the year happens to be.  Other times, what the child says won’t make sense, but by trying to repeat it the parent will say “oh, Billy means a red truck.”  This re-enforces the gift in the child’s mine.     

One of the tricks I’ve learned is to let the child talk as long as he wants.  Don’t worry.  They’ll usually wear down after a couple of minutes.  Many have their Christmas list memorized.  Others have to think about it a little.  But every child knows when they’re getting the brush off from Santa and that’s bad.  Just remember, this is a very special moment for you and the child, so take this opportunity seriously!  

Then there are the children with Christmas lists that seem to never end.  If you try to stop them before they’re done reciting it, they’ll look pitiful.  Sometimes you can break their train of thought by saying “Santa is going to have to get a trailer for his sleigh this year!”  The parents will usually take the hint and speed up the child.  Whatever you do, be there, look into the child’s eyes, let them know you are totally focused on them and wait till they’re done.  

Children around seven or eight are starting to have their doubts about Santa.  I’ll let them tell Santa what they want then I ask if they have been good this year?  They’ll always glance at their parents with this pleading look in their eyes.  I’ll say “I know you’ve been good because I’ve been checking up on you Billy, but…”  I’ll pause, put my hand on their shoulder, pull them a little closer and say “your room is always a mess!”  The child’s eyes will grow as big as quarters and they will almost always say “How did you know that?” All you have to do is bellow “I’m Santa Claus!”  The child is a believer and the parents have something to remind them about!  

Then there are the teenagers.  Most boys try to act very macho and say they just want a million dollars for Christmas.  Santa always replies with “Anything else?”  

Teenage girls seem to always come in pacts of three or more.  I’ll usually pick the second girl, ask her name and then say “Santa already knows what you want for Christmas this year!”  The girls will suddenly become quiet and look at Santa.  Then I say “Santa knows this is the year you want a new boyfriend!”  All the girls will shriek and laugh.  Then I’ll lean in and ask “any chance you date short guys with big noses?”  She’ll say something like “Ooooohhhhhh, nooooo!” and I’ll reply “Darn.  I’m having a terrible time getting dates for my elves at the North Pole this year!”  All the girls will walk away giggling and poking fun at the one girl Santa singled out.  They’ll talk about it the rest of the night.  

Every forth or fifth child, I’ll let them tell Santa what they want and then I’ll lean closer and say “Sarah, can you do something special for Santa this year?”  They’ll look at you with such anticipation because they’ve never been asked that question by Santa.  You motion them closer with your finger so you’re just a few inches away.  Remember, you’re at eye level.  You then say “On Christmas Eve, Santa has to fly all around the world delivering gifts to his favorite boys and girls… and that’s a big job for an old guy like me.  Sarah, would it be OK if when I get to your house, I stop, take a little break and maybe have some milk and cookies?”  The child will look at you and always say “YES!”  Then you ask “Now Sarah, what’s your favorite kind of cookie?”  It doesn’t matter what they say, sugar, chocolate, Christmas or gingerbread, you suddenly grab the child with both hands and excitedly say “that’s my favorite, too!”  The most amazing thing happens.  When you first grab the child they’re scared and then when you tell them you like the same kind of cookies they do, the look of fear dissolves into the most beautiful smile you could ever imagine.  That’s something the child and the parents will talk about through Christmas Eve.  

I end every conversation by giving the child a challenge.  “Now Billy, do you promise to do everything your mommy or daddy asks you to do between now and Christmas?  Because if you do, I’ll make sure I leave you something extra special under the tree!”  The child will always nod yes and the parents will almost always say “Thank you, Santa!”    

6.  Be quiet, let them talk but don’t commit.  You’ll learn to be a very good listener as Santa Claus but you must be very careful never to promise anything specific.  Don’t raise the child’s expectations to something that can’t be delivered.  

On occasion a child will ask for something that will make your heart ache.  “Santa, can you get my mommy and daddy back together?”  “Santa, my daddy has been in the hospital for a long time, can you make him better?”  “Santa, my mommy died this year, can you make my daddy happy again?”  I’m never real sure how to respond to some of these questions other than to reach out, give the child a huge hug and remind them they are loved very much.  

7.  Don’t promise a pet.  You’ll be surprised how many children want a real dog/cat/rabbit/hamster or some other live pet for Christmas.  This is something for the parents to give a child since the parents will usually end up feeding, walking and cleaning up after the animal.  Simply say pets don’t travel well in the sleigh from the North Pole and they need to talk to their parents about a present like this.  The parents will nod their heads and secretly say “Thank you, Santa!”  

8.  Make sure every person you talk to gets a candy cane.  Since Santa is always carrying a bag with him full of candy canes, he’s always prepared to give one away.  I make sure to have all sizes, colors and flavors of candy canes available.  I’ll also make sure to say the elves made that candy cane just for them.  That candy cane is just one more thing to create a lasting memory with that child.  

9.  Work differently with babies and toddlers.  If you get to talk to a baby that’s less than a year old and scared to death of strangers, they’ll usually look at you if you ring your bell.   Then you say “I’ll see you next year, you’ll be a lot more talkative then!” and the parent will giggle and thank you.  Toddlers that are almost talking are handled differently.  Santa can usually ask “Can you say ho ho ho?” and the parents will start saying ho ho ho.  There have been times when the child will say ho ho ho and the parents will say “those are the first words he’s ever said!” and walk away on top of the world.  

The most amazing thing about being Santa is every one trusts you with no questions asked.  One year I was Santa at the local hospital and walked into every room to talk with the patients.  It didn’t matter how old or sick they were, a smile always spread across their face.  I would always leave them a magic candy cane the elves made just for them.  There was one year when I was in the new mother wing and walked into a room where a mother had given birth that morning.  The room was full of relatives and the baby was being cradled by the mother.  Immediately upon seeing Santa, the mother gave me the baby to hold and barked for someone to get a camera quick to take the picture.  A total stranger was holding their most precious possession, but that stranger was Santa Claus.  

10.  Ask for the hug!  There’s one last thing to remember and this is the absolutely, most important.  At the end of your conversation, open both arms wide and always ask if they want to give Santa Claus a hug.  It doesn’t matter how young or old the person is, they will always give you a hug!  The grown-ups will walk away and brag they still hug Santa and the kids know they’ve been hugged by someone who loves them.   

Getting that hug is the real reason for being Santa Claus!  

 

 

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