So, Santa Claus himself was scheduled to appear at your holiday party, but he was too busy at the North Pole and couldn’t make it – so you have been asked to fill in. Dressing up as Santa for a Christmas event is a lot of fun – especially when you get to see the enchanted looks on the faces of the children.

So how can you be the best possible Father Christmas? The most important thing is to really get into character. You might feel a little strange and self-conscious, but don’t worry about what everyone else thinks. The kids are the most important thing, so make sure that they are delighted and enchanted.

Here are some tips for dressing as the Jolly Old Elf at a Christmas party at one of the hotels in Cheshire – or anywhere else.

Master the Ho Ho Ho

Santa has a characteristic laugh that everyone is familiar with – so make sure that you practice it so that you can do it convincingly! It should be in a low pitch and it should sound jolly and happy. Watch some videos of actors who have played Santa or cartoons that have depicted Santa to hear some examples of jolly laughs.

Pay Attention to Detail

Children will notice if Santa wears the same wristwatch as you do, or if the straps of his beard are visible. To maintain the magic, the costume should be as convincing as possible. Once you are all dressed up, have someone take a look at you carefully and make sure that there are no obvious signs visible that identify you to the children.

Never Break Character

Make sure that whenever you are in the Santa Suit, you are in character and are acting like Santa Claus would. If the children see you sneaking outside for a smoke or having a drink or taking off your beard to scratch your chin, you’ll shatter the image of Santa Claus in their young minds. Whenever you are in the suit, you should be Santa-like at all times. You might even want to change the timbre of your voice, so that children will not recognise it is you.

Be Calm, Friendly and Gentle

Little ones might be nervous about sitting on the knee of a strange big man in a red suit, even if they like the idea of Santa. Put them at ease by ensuring that you have a calm and friendly demeanour and always speaking in a slow, soothing voice. Ask them their name and start with easy questions for them to answer, such as “are you looking forward to Christmas?” If the child doesn’t feel comfortable sitting on your knee, they don’t have to. You can have another chair next to you that they can sit on instead.

Don’t Promise Anything

No matter what the children tell you that they want for Christmas, never make a promise that you will bring it for them. It might be too expensive for their parents to afford, or their parents might have already bought them something else. Instead, say something like, “I’ll see what I can do.”

Have Your Answers Ready

When you are Santa you might get asked difficult questions, such as how you get into houses that don’t have chimneys, or how you fly all the way around the house in one night, or how you fit all the presents for every child in the world in one sleigh. Make sure that you have thought about these answers so that you can think on your feet. For example, you could tell the child that your reindeer eat special hay that gives them the power to fly at the speed of light, ensuring that you can make it around the world in the blink of an eye. Or, you could tell them that Santa uses wormholes to jump from neighbourhood to the other.

Research Kid Culture

Do a little bit of research into the role in advance, so that you know what kids are talking about when they ask you for popular games, toys, TV shows and films. If you can understand their references and you know about their favourite shows and characters, you’ll gain a lot of credence in their eyes.

These are just a few tips to keep in mind when you are dressing up as Santa Claus for a holiday party or a Christmas party in Cheshire.