Santa Steve parks his sleigh at St. Albert Centre

Spoiler alert: Santa is real and his name is Steve Schuster.

A single glimpse of Schuster, even when he’s in street clothes across a busy mall, instantly brings to mind two words: There’s Santa.

This is thanks to his thick mop of snow-white hair and bushy white beard, both real and untainted by artificial products.

Upon closer inspection, it’s evident that Schuster also has the bulbous cheeks and the twinkling eyes. Heck, he even laughs like Santa Claus, bringing a massive hand to his chest as he throws his head back for an unabashed chuckle.

Schuster has been a mall Santa for years. The 58-year-old Alberta Beach resident will resume his position at St. Albert Centre on Saturday and will work every day, except two, until Christmas. He’s taken a month off his job hauling tandem loads of sand and gravel to do it.

“I don’t consider it a job. I consider it as my holiday,” he says.

For Schuster, being Santa comes naturally, and not only because he’s had a beard his entire adult life. He’s always loved Christmas and all its aspects, from toys to candy canes.

As soon as the Sears Christmas Wish Book comes out in September, he’s committing it to memory, not because he’s Santa, but because he still loves toys very much.

“He pretty well knows by the time Christmas comes around what kids want for a toy,” says his wife of 32 years, Sherri.

Schuster and his wife are used to hearing rooms fall silent when they walk in, like Tim Hortons, for example. The attention ramps up after Halloween as people – particularly children – start to notice him more and more, and he starts to prepare for the big day when he eases into his mall chair for his first shift.

“The closer it comes to December the more he starts to become Santa,” Sherri says. “It’s not a role, it’s just him.”

Photo op

Schuster works for Special Events (digital) Photo, which provides 11 Santas to malls in the Edmonton area.

A good Santa not only has the right look, but also the right demeanour to handle a non-stop flow of children day after day, says owner Dean Skoubis.

It’s not an easy job, as the hours are grueling and the demands are many. Each child is different and must be read in a matter of seconds, and parents sometimes have unrealistic expectations for the photos they’re buying. It takes a person with a strong work ethic and a genuine love of the season.

“If a guy’s doing it for the money, he’s not going to last long,” Skoubis says.

Santas get some basic training. Key things they have to remember are to ensure their hands are visible in every photo and to position the children at the end of their knee, with both their legs on one side or the other, never straddling Santa’s leg.

Making the moment special is an artform that must be innate.

“How to be Santa – you can’t teach that to somebody. They either have that or they don’t,” Skoubis says.

He says Schuster fits the job to a T.

“He embodies what Christmas is and what Santa is. To him it’s more than a job, it’s a higher calling,” Skoubis says.

“He really believes that every child should have a magical Christmas experience and he knows how to bring it.”

One such magical moment stands out in Schuster’s memory.

A few years ago he was approached by a family of four, the two children being of an age when they didn’t really believe in Santa anymore and weren’t too interested in having their photo taken. The parents insisted.

Schuster positioned one child on each armrest, the mother on his knee and the father behind him. The mother, with a mischievous look in her eye, put her hand on Schuster’s knee, prompting a glare from the father and roars of laughter from the kids.

“They took that picture and I tell you what, I was emotional about it because they walked the mall in a group hug and they cherished that picture,” Schuster recalls.

“As far as I could see them at the other end of the mall they were still waving at me. That’s the stuff that really makes me feel warm, when I can make a family smile.”

Schuster says he can’t wait for his first shift, which starts at noon on Saturday, Nov. 30. And he has no plans to retire from his annual holiday job.

“For as long as my health holds up, I’m going to be a Santa.”