Too expensive? Fewer rental Santas on the road

Christmas - Too expensive? Fewer rental Santas on the road

Christmas is coming and with it the question of who will bring the presents on Christmas Eve. But fewer and fewer Santa Claus actors are on the job. "Booking behavior is subdued," says Petra Henkert from the Zeuthen Christmas Office in Brandenburg. Demand is not at the same level as before the coronavirus pandemic. In the Covid years, there was a decline due to contact restrictions. Only a few employment agencies across Germany, such as the authority in Bremen, still have Santa Claus performers on their register.

One possible cause could be the increased prices for Santa Claus appearances. The background to this is higher costs for the performers, for example for the gasoline for the journey. The standard price for a performance is now 85 euros, which is "simply too much" for some families, says Henkert, who runs her Christmas office near Berlin as the "Christmas fairy Dezembersonne". The 61-year-old started her agency in 2000. According to Henkert, families had to pay around 30 euros for a Santa Claus appearance back then; today, some agencies can charge up to 250 euros.

For years, students were also employed as Santa Clauses and Santas, arranged by the student unions. But there were fewer and fewer every year. In 2019, only three of the 57 Studierendenwerke nationwide still provided Santas. The Deutsches Studierendenwerk does not know whether all of them have since dropped out.

Good Santas are rare, says Willi Dahmen from Celle. He has been on the road as Santa Claus for more than 30 years. This year he is fully booked, reports the 71-year-old with the impressive white beard. Dahmen has over 60 performers on his books, which he places throughout Germany.

Dahmen also offers an annual training course for the next generation of actors. In October, around 20 candidates came to Celle. One young Santa from Ratzeburg in Schleswig-Holstein performed so well in one of his first appearances this year that he has already been booked for 2024. "I'm delighted to have found someone who puts their heart and soul into it," enthuses Dahmen.

He works according to Santa's code of honor. Petra Henkert and other agencies adopted this code more than ten years ago in Berlin. According to this code, Santa Claus is patient and calm and creates a nice atmosphere. He never swears, does not smoke in his costume and is always correctly dressed. For Dahmen, it is also important to preserve Christmas traditions: "That's why I also demand that songs have to be sung and poems recited."

For a long time, angels and Santas could also be booked through employment agencies, but during the coronavirus pandemic, business took a turn for the worse. The Hanover employment agency pulled out completely. The reason was the shortage of skilled workers. "Our Santas were severely restricted during the coronavirus period and still are - due to their age. So they can't visit families," says an agency spokesperson. There have also been no new serious applications.

At the Bremen employment agency, on the other hand, placement is still ongoing and has been for more than 40 years. But here, too, there is a lack of new recruits. The agency therefore launched an appeal in October. A total of five more performers were sought for the 100 or so tours planned in Germany's smallest federal state. They were to support the 15 existing Bremen Santas, according to a spokeswoman. They are there "every year and with enthusiasm".

Website Santa Claus from Celle Website Christmas Office Zeuthen