"My feeling is, if you're Santa all the time, you have to live as Santa and give up whoever you are,"
"I'm just striving to be a better person."
"I can connect with people and remind them they're loved,"
"That hurt my heart so much,"
Professional Santas often treat the role as an all-year identity rather than a seasonal job. Most do not earn six figures and some lose money, yet they perform out of love and commitment. Many transform personal appearance and homes—wearing red and green year-round, keeping full white beards, training a "Ho, ho, ho" laugh, or redecorating as Santa's house. Some present Santa as a performance role that requires suppressing aspects of self, while others experience it as a calling that allows emotional connection. Santas face rejection and discrimination based on race and disability, yet many persist despite criticism.
Read at Ars Technica
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