Santa Tony Christen poses for a photo with Julie Shaffley, president of Centralia Rotary, at a Rotary lunch Tuesday.
Santa Tony Christen poses for a selfie with Chelsea Dady, left, and Latisha Steward at O’Blarney’s Tuesday. Even out of costume, Christen says people say he looks like Santa.
Santa Tony Christen retired in November 2016 and since then has been putting his energy into appearing as Santa Claus.
Santa Tony Christen, right, shares a laugh with Erik Olson Tuesday at a Rotary club lunch at O’Blarneys.
With a twinkle in his eye, Tony Christen still vividly remembers the wonder he felt as a small child watching Santa Claus land at Yard Birds in a helicopter — his reindeer must have had the night off.
“I guess I’ve always been mystified by the magic of Santa,” he said.
He made sure to pass on that joy when he had his own children.
“When the kids were little, I’d take my boot and take soot from the fireplace and leave footprints to make it look like Santa was there,” he said.
That childhood Christmas wonder is one reason why Christen, 58, of Adna, or Santa Tony, now dons the suit himself.
“I love the spirit of Christmas and I love little kids,” he said.
Christen — a natural with his full beard and big smile — doesn’t understand grumpy mall Santas.
“You should be in it for the joy of it,” he said.
As Christmas quickly approaches, his schedule gets busier and busier. On Tuesday, he sang carols with the Centralia Rotary Club. The next day, he visited Napavine Elementary School, and on Thursday, he was scheduled to visit Seattle Children’s Hospital. When he heard they needed Santas, he volunteered to do as many shifts as were needed.
He is often moved to tears by his interactions with children or by the fond memories he collects by the dozen.
Christen recalled one particular encounter, in which he taught a child who didn’t yet talk the American Sign Language sign for “I love you,” and said the child smiled and repeated the sign back to him.
“I call them Santa’s snowflake tears,” he said. “I’m just a big softy.”
Earlier this year, he did an event for foster children and another for adults with disabilities.
“It’s children of all ages. I love it all,” he said. “It’s amazing how fulfilled I am doing this.”
Christen bought his first real Santa suit not long after retiring in November 2016. He takes his Santa regalia seriously — no fake beards or threadbare suits are allowed.
“I couldn’t really be a Santa before because I couldn’t have a beard and I didn’t want to be a Santa with a fake beard,” he said.
He has joined the International Brotherhood of Real Bearded Santas as well as several other organizations for reputable Santas.
Christen is new to the business of being Santa, and barring the occasional bad Santa, he said he’s found a “brotherhood” of others eager to give support.
“Everybody’s trying to help everybody be the best Santa they can,” he said.
Soon after investing in his own suit, he bought a matching Mrs. Claus outfit for his wife Laurie.
At first, she wasn’t sure about playing Mrs. Claus, but the suit fit, Christen said. Now they go to many events together. Their daughter and her husband also plan to help as elves in the future.
In his first Christmas season, Christen helped with the Forgotten Children’s Fund and played Santa in Lewis County.
This November, he went to a Christmas expo in Tacoma and struck up a conversation with the Santa on duty. He was approached by the event photographer, and was later offered the job of being Santa at the company’s Denver and Salt Lake city shows.
It was one of many instances that make Christen sure that God has called him to be Santa.
He called the experience “glorious,” and though it involved long hours, he said he never felt tired.
“I’d sit there for eight hours with kids on my lap. Those kids just energize me,” he said. “I just felt so full of love.”
This year, Christen received a very official endorsement of his identity — his local post office has been sending him letters to Santa from local children. He tries hard to answer as often as he can.
Mainly, he assures children his elves are working on their gifts, and tells them all a “Santa secret.” Those, he said, are reminders that their family loves them, and encouragement to return that love and be good boys and girls.
When visiting with a child in person, he finishes the brief conversation with a pinky swear, and said he is rewarded by watching many of the kids immediately give their parent a big hug.
When you look like Christen, being Santa is a full-time job. Running a short errand in the suit could take nearly an hour, as children and adults alike stop Christen for a picture and a hug. Often they say he’s made their day.
“Things like that are so rewarding,” he said.
The only snag in becoming Santa Claus for Christen might have been the struggle to keep the myth alive for his inquisitive grandchildren
At first, he tried to hide the suit in a closet. That didn’t work for long.
But Christen had a good explanation ready — You see, Santa has a lot of ground to cover come Christmas Eve, he told the kids.
“Santa has to have lots and lots of helpers,” he said. “You never really know which one’s the real Santa, but he’s down here with us.”
