For the men and women who don the red suit (and sometimes green) for a living, the festive soundtrack is a constant companion. A group of professional UK Santas have shared the Christmas songs that capture the magic of the season for them – and the ones they could happily retire until next December.
The Magic and Mayhem of Being Santa
For these dedicated performers, being Santa is far more than a seasonal job. Nigel Harvey, known as Santa Himself, describes it as "a calling". He recalls a profoundly moving visit to a young boy in hospital who hadn't spoken for six months due to a terrible accident. "When we got talking, the room fell silent and people started crying," Harvey shares. The boy's parents later told him it was the first time he had spoken in half a year, highlighting the unique power of the Santa persona.
The role comes with its share of unexpected and humorous moments. Paul Fessi recounts a memorable encounter where a little girl's guinea pig made a leap of faith. "The guinea pig leapt off her hand and dived straight into my Santa beard," he laughs, noting the parents were "in stitches" during the rescue operation.
Meanwhile, Arnold Warneken, who wears a traditional green Santa outfit, felt a sudden tug on his beard only to find a determined two-year-old child dangling from it. Warneken performs his Santa duties for IDAS, a domestic abuse charity, distributing donated presents to child survivors.
Festive Anthems and Irritating Earworms
When it comes to the music of the season, these Santas have strong and varied opinions. Paul Fessi champions the classics, naming Eartha Kitt's sultry Santa Baby as a favourite for getting adults up to dance, and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer for its "pure" lyrics. He insists no Christmas songs drive him mad, declaring, "It's Christmas: they're all great."
Others are more selective. Arnold Warneken's top pick is Band Aid's Do They Know It's Christmas? for drawing attention to global inequality. His least favourite is Spike Jones's 1948 novelty hit All I Want For Christmas Is My Two Front Teeth, which he brands "just so cheesy" and "really irritating".
Cleve Freckleton, who performs as Rasta Claus, created his character while teaching at a school for children with special educational needs. Uncertain how kids would react to a Black Santa, he found the parents loved the idea of a "different" Santa for children often classed as "different". His musical tastes lean towards festive songs that don't explicitly mention Christmas, like Baby It's Cold Outside and Winter Wonderland. He admits, "I'd rather hear something different than hear Mariah Carey for the 1,000th time", suggesting a grime Christmas song or a punk Silent Night.
The Santa Soundtrack: Love, Loathe and Endure
Other Santas highlight the physical challenges of the role – from overheating in the full costume to the logistical nightmare of a bathroom break – but it's the music that often tests their festive spirit. Joseph Ridgely's favourite is Kelly Clarkson's Underneath the Tree, thanks to a choreographed dance in a Santa show. He cannot bear When Santa Got Stuck Up the Chimney "for obvious reasons", though he jokes about it with children.
Former science teacher Keith Leech, whose daughter inspired his Santa career, names the perennial Jingle Bells as his favourite for its jolly nature. His irritations include Slade's Merry Xmas Everybody and The Waitresses' Christmas Wrapping, which he says "drives me bananas" despite admitting its riff is a "total earworm".
For Nigel Harvey, the poignant Stop the Cavalry by Jona Lewie is a favourite for its bouncy tune and heartfelt anti-war message. He dislikes the sad tale of The Little Boy That Santa Claus Forgot by Nat King Cole, a sentiment that resonates with the heartbreaking requests he sometimes hears from children questioning why they receive fewer presents than their peers.
Finally, Simon Anthony, a Santa who believes Father Christmas might be a "Time Lord" from Doctor Who, prefers classical fare like Prokofiev's Sleigh Ride. He speaks for many when he notes that any song heard too often can become grating, confessing that as a child he found Donny Osmond's Christmas songs "particularly distressing". Yet, like all these professional Santas, he grins and bears it for the love of Christmas and the magic it brings to children and adults alike.
