'Santa' Matthew Schwarz

Bringing Christmas to Life

A memorable Santa visit begins before Santa ever walks through the door.

Before your event, you’re welcome to share children’s names, interests, Christmas wishes, family traditions, accomplishments, pets, or other details that might help Santa make a connection.

Then Santa may know something nobody expected him to know.

Maybe he remembers the name of the family dog. Maybe he knows about the new baby sister. Maybe he heard that someone has been practicing piano, learning to skate, helping around the house, or working very hard at school.

Those little details can transform a Santa appearance into something wonderfully personal.

But preparation is only the beginning.

Children are wonderfully unpredictable. Some run toward Santa with a list already in hand. Some hang back and study him carefully. Some have twenty questions. Others aren’t quite sure what to say.

My job is to meet people where they are, listen to what they have to say, and help something memorable happen.

## More Than a Photo

Photographs are part of almost every Santa visit, and I want families to come away with beautiful images.

The best visits also leave room for something beyond the photograph.

Depending on your event, a visit might include conversation, storytelling, Christmas songs, children’s questions, gift presentation, family and group photographs, or simply Santa spending time visiting with everyone.

And Christmas belongs to grown-ups, too.

Parents, grandparents, friends, coworkers, and neighbors all bring their own memories of Christmas. Sometimes a parent who brought the children to see Santa suddenly finds themselves laughing along. A grandparent remembers something from childhood. Coworkers loosen up at a company Christmas party. Someone watching from the edge of the room gets invited into a photograph or conversation.

Santa should make the room warmer.

## Dependable From Beginning to End

A successful Santa visit begins with good communication.

I want to understand your event, the people attending, what you hope will happen, and any special considerations I should know beforehand.

For home visits, we can discuss children’s information, gifts, arrival logistics, photographs, and how you’d like Santa’s entrance and departure handled.

For larger events, we can talk about timing, flow, activities, photography, and what role you would like Santa to play.

Then I arrive prepared.

Once Santa enters the room, you shouldn’t have to manage Santa.

You should be able to enjoy your own event.

## Your Event

I am available for family and home visits, Christmas Eve and Christmas morning visits, corporate and employee events, community and church celebrations, daycares and schools, photography sessions, tree lightings, gift presentations, storytelling and Christmas sing-alongs, larger holiday gatherings, and live or recorded virtual visits.

Each setting calls for a slightly different Santa.

A quiet family visit shouldn’t feel like a corporate party. A room filled with excited children requires something different from a photography session. A community event may require Santa to greet many people while still making brief interactions feel personal.

I enjoy adapting to the room while preserving the warmth and character people expect from Santa Claus.

## A Santa Who Takes the Craft Seriously

I take the craft of portraying Santa Claus seriously.

I am continually developing my portrayal through professional education, study, practice, storytelling, improvisation, and the traditions of Santa Claus.

My training includes the Worldwide Santa Claus Network and its emphasis on authentic Santa portrayal, meaningful interaction, professionalism, and creating extraordinary Christmas experiences. I continue my Santa education because I believe this is a role that deserves preparation.

I want to become believable enough that, for the time we’re together, children don’t have to work very hard to imagine that Santa really has come to see them.

The details matter: appearance, voice, mannerisms, knowledge of Christmas traditions, storytelling, listening, communication before the event, arriving prepared, and understanding the needs of the host.

Professionalism and wonder belong together.

## The Christmas Spirit

What draws me to Santa Claus is something very simple.

Santa represents generosity, kindness, attention, hospitality, joy, and the possibility of making another person’s day brighter simply because we chose to notice them.

For a little while, Santa gives people permission to set ordinary life aside and enter into the wonder and warmth of Christmas.

That’s the Santa I hope to portray: someone who listens and notices, who welcomes the shy child as warmly as the enthusiastic one, and who remembers that the parents and grandparents watching from across the room are part of the Christmas story, too.

Santa may be the person everyone looks at when he enters the room, but the visit is really about the people Santa came to see.

If your family, organization, church, business, or community is looking for a warm, attentive, authentic Santa who will arrive prepared and genuinely engage with your guests, I would be honored to help create your Christmas memory.

Merry Christmas!

Santa Matthew