Yes, Virginia, there is a SantaClaus. You can find him at most major department stores from Thanksgiving to Christmas Eve, usually in a section appropriately called Toyland, sitting on an ornate high-backed chair among a vast array of the latest children's delights. His attire is conspicuous: red flannel jump suit trimmed with white simulated fur, matching cap, accessories of patent leather belt and putties with spats to give the booted look, accented with white gloves. He also has long white hair and a long white beard. According to Webster' s dictionary, Santa Claus in folklore is a fat, white-bearded, jolly old man in a red suit who lives at the North Pole, makes toys for children, and distributes gifts at Christmas. He is also called Saint Nicholas and Saint Nick. Virginia, please do not be disappointed if Santa is not quite that fat, jolly old man. You see, everybody is on Weight Watchers these days; and it is difficult to keep your jollys together after you have been sitting on a hard high-backed chair for eight hours. As for the toys he may give you, if you are lucky and happen to find an affluent Santa he may give you a candy cane--providing 80
that you have been nice. You can have your picture taken with Santa as a keepsake for not much more than three dollars. Or possibly you might buy a surprise gift from Santa's grab bag for fifty cents or a dollar. Anyway, Santa will definitely be glad to take your orders for Christmas gifts as you sit on his lap--that is, if you find him and there is not a sign on his chair that says. "Santa will be right back. He's out feeding his reindeer." Around five years ago I started a series of photographs which l call "Apparitions of Festive Occasions." Initially these photographs were of costumed parties, Halloween in particular. They have since been expanded to include any occasion where a costume is the order of the day. Parades are especially good material. One of my main concerns with this project is to capture unique images of Americana. And as in most projects, sometimes the most obvious is the hardest to see. Santa Claus completely escaped my eye at the beginning of my project until I happened on a woman picketing in front of a local department store. She was wearing a Santa suit complete with beard and a sandwich board protesting the sale of
Farah pants by a local store. She was the first of a long line of bearded, red-dressed ho-hoers. Most of the Santas I have encountered are sincere in their characterization and take pride in creating the illusion that children dream on. A few could not care less. It is a job for some needed cash, ironically to purchase Christmas presents. One Santa told me that he had been doing it for almost twenty-five years. Another Santa that 1 met in a mixed gay/straight bar, when asked if he enjoyed the Santa business, replied, "1 just love it when those little boys sit on my lap." Food for thought, Mommy. Santas come in all shapes and sizes, but so far in only one color--white. Last year I heard rumors of a black Santa at a food distribution center, but unfortunately I could not find the place. To d a t e - - t o the best of my k n o w l e d g e - - I have photographed all of Philadelphia's and Manhattan's Santas, along with most of them in between the two cities. Shortly after my first encounter with Santa I asked a friend if he and his son Jason would like to come with me while I photographed a local department store's Santa. My intention was to photograph Jason on Santa's lap. When we arrived at the store Jason went into a rage at his first sight of Santa. threw himself on the floor, and started to cry. His father could not believe
Photos and text by E. Jan Kounitz
his actions because he had never done anything like it before. Jason was four at the time, and his reason--as he explained--was because Santa wore a funny red suit and had a long white beard. Both his father and I have beards, but Jason said that ours were not white! He was actually terrified of Santa. This particular Saint Nick did not have much of a formal Santa setting---only a rocking chair set in the middle of an aisle. Ever since that incident I have been photographing Santa from a four-year-old's point of view. As you view these Santas, try to imagine yourself in place of a child. Does ally one Santa fit that image you had as a child? Do they all appear to be fat, jolly old men? Do any of them?
E. Jan Kounitz is a free-lance photographer living in Rocky Hill, New Jersey.
