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5 SANTA’S HEAD ELF MINUTES WITH:
The “Head Elf” at Canada’s top Santa School (yes, they have a school) makes a list of what it takes to be a stellar St. Nick. Why would someone enrol in Santa School?
The two most common reasons are that people want to volunteer for organizations, or want to have a part-time job, oftentimes after retirement. What do you teach in class? Calgarian Jennifer Andrews’ unbridled enthusiasm for Christmas made her the natural choice to head the country’s top Santa School, after the passing of founder Victor Nevada. To learn more about her program, go to santaschool.com.
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WEEKEND, DECEMBER 24-25, 2010
MICHAEL DE ADDER
You’ve got one of the biggest icons in North America, so it takes a lot more than just putting on a cotton beard and saying, “Ho ho ho.” We teach them how to speak, how
to walk, how to enter and exit, how to care for their beards. And then, once the children are sitting on their knees, there are sometimes tough questions thrown at them so we want to make sure they can deal with that. Because not every child’s life is really wonderful and we want to make sure the children aren’t misled, that they have a good experience. That’s far more involved than people would think.
It’s far more involved. Because Santa is such a big part of people’s holiday celebrations, people have been dressing up as Santa
at parties. And as wellmeaning as that is, it’s usually the president of the company or somebody’s dad and they just put on an elasticsecured beard. That’s been part of the downfall in people not thinking Santa’s real, when you and I both know he’s real. If it’s not done well, it loses some of the magic. You took over the school from Victor Nevada, who was considered the best Santa in the country. What made him so special?
He had a lot of empathy. He didn’t have a very good childhood himself so I think he tried to recreate
one for other kids. Over and above that he was a very good actor. And he also had that little twinkle in his eye — not everybody has that. Is that what you try to impart to your Santas?
Some is innate but most things can be taught. Still, the right attitude has to be in place. Have you ever had students who just couldn’t quite get it?
We did have one fellow who found himself an elf through the whole experience, so it’s not like he was demoted, but he was really a much better elf than Santa! JORDANA DIVON
Up there Down Under Phone home Worth mentioning Mysterious lights in the sky and even a flying saucer are among the reported UFO sightings detailed in classified documents released by New Zealand’s military this week. The thousands of documents cover more than 50 years of New Zealanders’ reports of encounters with unidentified flying objects. Most files suggest natural explanations for the sightings, including meteors and reflections off boat lights. Among the reports was one from a man who wrote a letter in 1955 to
inform authorities he had seen flying saucers, even witnessing one take off. The files also cover the country’s best-known UFO mystery in 1978 in the southern island town of Kaikoura. A cargo plane reported strange lights following it and air traffic controllers detected radar blips they could not explain.
Metro Minute with alternative Christmas
The documents showed the government carefully took note of such reports, even if some citizens only received a polite thanks for their theories. New Zealand’s Defence Force released the files Wednesday under a freedom-of-information request. THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
What’s your wish for 2011?
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Three days to play WHAT GIFT WOULD YOU LIKE TO FIND UNDER YOUR CHRISTMAS TREE THIS YEAR?
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Life in this big, beautiful multicultural stew we call home means having a number of great options this weekend for those who don’t celebrate Christmas. One favourite, er, tradition involves Chinese food and a Hollywood flick, a tradition so widely practised in certain neighbourhoods you’re advised to reserve a table weeks in advance. For last minute revellers,
head to 331 Spadina Ave. so you can line up for an hour outside Lee Garden. Bundle up because their succulent avocado and beef tenderloin dish makes the wait worthwhile. After dinner, travel a few blocks south to ScotiaBank Theatre to take in The King’s Speech. Get popcorn because you’ll be hungry in an hour. JORDANA DIVON
Priya Sharma TORONTO
I’d like to see a newspaper with an article that reads there’s no more poverty in the world.
Bakheet Aldosai TORONTO
I’d like a trip to Vancouver. I’ve never been there but I would really like to go. I want to see everything.