Santas Sharpen Their Skills at Michigan School

 

As soon as the Thanksgiving holiday is over, Santa Clauses start appearing everywhere – in shopping centers, supermarkets and other places.

It takes more than red clothing and a white beard to be a professional Santa. In fact, many aspiring¹ Santas attend special classes.

The CW Howard Santa School is in Midland, Michigan. It is the longest continuously running Santa Claus School in the world. This year, it is celebrating its 80th anniversary.

VOA recently visited the school.

More than 250 Santas have gathered at the CW Howard Santa School to prepare for their seasonal³ work. Charlie W. Howard was the Santa Claus in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade for 17 years. He started the school in 1937. Tom Valent is the school's current leader.

"At that time, there was a great need for good Santas, better Santas. Santas didn't portray⁴ the image that we want. Santa Claus stands for all good things and some of the gentlemen that were portraying⁵ that image weren't up to par² then."

The three-day Santa workshop teaches people “Santa sign language,” facts about reindeer⁶ and clothing and make-up style. The future Santas also become familiar with the newest wish list toys, gain interview experience for radio and television and even get advice on how to do their business taxes.

Robert Davis has played Santa for 30 years. He has attended the school several times.

"I think no matter how good you are at whatever you choose to do, you can always be better. And not only does the school teach you so much, but when you interact with 250 fellow people who love the same thing you do, you learn something new every year."

The student Santas’ headquarters is the Santa House. Tom Valent designed the house in 1986 to look like those made of gingerbread, a Christmas tradition.

Conservative estimates suggest about 15,000 students have graduated from the Santa School. They come from all over North America, Europe, Africa, and Australia to study. This year, the school welcomed Santas from all 50 states as well as Canada, Denmark, New Zealand and Norway.

Fred Ostaer is the only Norwegian Santa at the school this year. He is known as Oslo Santa. It is his eighth time at the school.

"I have been Santa this Christmas 65 years. I started to be a Santa when I was 12."

The Santas never claim to be the one and only "real" Santa. Instead they describe themselves as "the spirit of Christmas." At the school's opening-night activity, Santa Walk, they tell visiting children they are the "cousins of Santa."

Robert Davis says they also never promise children anything. Instead they say they will "try their best."

"Anywhere I go, I try to make my contact and exchange with that child the very best that it can be because that could be that child's best five minutes of the year."

After all, as founder⁷ Charles W. Howard liked to say, "He errs⁹ who thinks Santa enters through the chimney. Santa enters through the heart."

Words in This Story

beard - n. the hair that grows on a man's cheeks and chin?

aspiring - adj. desiring and working to achieve a particular goal ?

portray - v. to describe (someone or something) in a particular way?

up to par - expression at an expected or usual level or quality.?

interview - n. a meeting at which people talk to each other in order to ask questions and get information?

err⁸ - v. to make a mistake

1 aspiring   

adj.有志气的；有抱负的；高耸的v.渴望；追求

参考例句：

• Aspiring musicians need hours of practice every day. 想当音乐家就要每天练许多小时。
• He came from an aspiring working-class background. 他出身于有抱负的工人阶级家庭。 来自辞典例句

2 par   

n.标准，票面价值，平均数量；adj.票面的，平常的，标准的

参考例句：

• Sales of nylon have been below par in recent years.近年来尼龙织品的销售额一直不及以往。
• I don't think his ability is on a par with yours.我认为他的能力不能与你的能力相媲美。

3 seasonal   

adj.季节的，季节性的

参考例句：

• The town relies on the seasonal tourist industry for jobs.这个城镇依靠季节性旅游业提供就业机会。
• The hors d'oeuvre is seasonal vegetables.餐前小吃是应时蔬菜。

4 portray   

v.描写，描述；画(人物、景象等)

参考例句：

• It is difficult to portray feelings in words.感情很难用言语来描写。
• Can you portray the best and worst aspects of this job?您能描述一下这份工作最好与最坏的方面吗？

5 portraying   

v.画像( portray的现在分词 )；描述；描绘；描画

参考例句：

• The artist has succeeded in portraying my father to the life. 那位画家把我的父亲画得惟妙惟肖。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Ding Ling was good at portraying figures through careful and refined description of human psychology. 《莎菲女士的日记》是丁玲的成名作，曾引起强烈的社会反响。 来自汉英文学 - 中国现代小说

6 reindeer   

n.驯鹿

参考例句：

• The herd of reindeer was being trailed by a pack of wolves.那群驯鹿被一只狼群寻踪追赶上来。
• The life of the Reindeer men was a frontier life.驯鹿时代人的生活是一种边区生活。

7 Founder   

n.创始者，缔造者

参考例句：

• He was extolled as the founder of their Florentine school.他被称颂为佛罗伦萨画派的鼻祖。
• According to the old tradition,Romulus was the founder of Rome.按照古老的传说，罗穆卢斯是古罗马的建国者。

8 err   

vi.犯错误，出差错

参考例句：

• He did not err by a hair's breadth in his calculation.他的计算结果一丝不差。
• The arrows err not from their aim.箭无虚发。

9 errs   

犯错误，做错事( err的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Man errs so long as he strives. 人只要奋斗就会犯错误。 来自每日一句
• He that talks much errs much. [谚]言多必有失。