A Tip Of The Stocking Cap To Santa

By Nancy K. Crevier

He is probably in more family holiday photos in Newtown than any other single citizen in town, said Earl Smith, who on Saturday, December 13, pulled on the red stocking cap, fastened the fluffy white beard to his chin, and buttoned up his bright red Santa Claus costume for the last time. At age 80, after more that 40 years of “Ho-Ho-Ho-ing” and dandling toddlers on his knees, Mr Smith is retiring from his seasonal gig as the holiday’s happiest elf.

His farewell appearance took place at The Magic Garden children’s clothing store at 6 Queen Street, where he posed with dozens of children as part of a Newtown Youth & Family Services fundraiser co-sponsored by the store and local photographer Cynthia McIntyre.

“It’s a final gift to NYFS,” said Mr Smith, who has posed as Santa Claus for the local family and youth support organization since its inception as YSIN in the 1950s. As a former Latin teacher and assistant principal at Newtown High School, Mr Smith is hugely supportive of the family unit, he said, and for this reason, has always been happy to give his time to NYFS over the years. “Probably thousands of children have sat on my lap at Christmastime,” he said.

His days as Santa Claus began in 1964 when his wife-to-be, Vera, was living in Norwalk. Upstairs from her apartment, a young mother and small child were going through a difficult holiday season, the father having walked out on the family.

“I remember Vera said, ‘Earl, you have to do me a favor and play Santa for this little child.’ How could I say no?” recalled Mr Smith. So he quickly rented a Santa costume, for the outrageous 1964 price of $50, climbed the stairs to the third floor apartment, and witnessed the first thrill of a child crying out, “It’s Santa Claus!”

Since he had the Santa suit, another friend begged him to drive up to Danbury that same day.

“It was starting to snow like crazy, and all of a sudden, this carload of teenagers pulled up next to me on the road, windows rolled down, waving and shouting, ‘Hi, Santa Claus!’ I had forgotten that rather than try to find a place to change, I had decided to leave on the costume for the ride to Danbury,” said Mr Smith.

After that, word got out. By the time Mr Smith and his new wife Vera moved to Newtown in 1966, he was playing Santa Claus at all of the school events.

“I was Santa at Sandy Hook School, I was Santa for the nurtury program at the high school, I was Santa whenever fellow teachers would ask,” chuckled Mr Smith. Every Christmas concert at Newtown High School featured the song “The Night Before Christmas” during the years he was an educator there, and he happily personalized the song with his presence there as Santa Claus.

Pretty soon, he was out in the community every holiday season. His merry presence graced the Holiday Sidewalk Sales at the old A&P Plaza on Queen Street for many years at the request of the Hallmark storeowner there. When the Chamber of Commerce began to host the Tree Lighting at Ram Pasture 25 years ago, Mr Smith and Marie Walker as Mrs Santa listened to many a child’s wishes, seated in the big sleigh next to the towering pine.

Just like jolly old St Nicholas in the classic seasonal song, he has “leaned his ear this way” and promised not to “tell a single soul” the wishes whispered into his ear at the Parks and Recreation annual Breakfast with Santa, the Holiday Road Race sponsored by Parks and Recreation, and at Edmond Town Hall holiday events. Occasionally he has played Santa for local churches, but only rarely has he ever taken on a paid appearance.

“Being Santa Claus has been a labor of love,” explained Mr Smith.

He has fielded requests for ponies and pets, and counted on countless parents to clue him in to wishes mumbled quietly into his fluffy white beard or to decipher the newest technology being sought from the North Pole toy makers. Some of this year’s popular requests are very commercially oriented — MP3 players and Wii systems are big requests — but others are seated in tradition.

“Not all young people are talking about things that are being advertised widely,” he said. “Many are asking for dolls or pets, just a few things. A few years ago you’d ask a child ‘What do you want for Christmas?” and you’d need two minutes to hear their whole list.”

One of his visitors on Saturday afternoon was a bubbly little girl named Charlotte. She arrived wearing a brown and black holiday dress and couldn’t wait to walk over to Santa. She headed toward him before her mother had her coat fully off, in fact.

“Hi Santa!” said Charlotte, offering a wave with her free arm while her mother finished with her coat. Charlotte couldn’t stop smiling, and she confidently climbed up onto Santa’s lap. She even snuggled into his beard. She couldn’t wait to talk to the man of the season. Charlotte promised Santa that she helped her mother with chores, and confided that she had even made her bed that morning.

Mr Smith has watched children’s manners go from good to not so good and swing back in recent years to pleasant again, and in the past few years, he has been happy to see more whole families and dads bringing the children to see Santa, wherever he is. “When you get the whole family involved,” said Mr Smith, “something good is taking place. You see the kids growing up from year to year and you’re truly a part of the community, you grow with the families. It’s a happy time of year, and I love to see how much the parents and kids enjoy seeing Santa.

“It’s important for the children,” he said. “When parents place more emphasis on family life and their kids, the children respond to that. It’s very encouraging.”

He has slowly been cutting back his appearances as St Nick over the past several years, as age and ankle surgery caught up with him. Four years ago, he sat in the Ram Pasture sleigh for the last time.

“Being Santa Claus was a catharsis for me,” said Mr Smith. “As an educator and as a community leader I often had to deal with the darker side of family lives, so Santa was the flip side to see the joy of families. Playing Santa was a nice relief from discipline problems.”

Putting aside his alter ego will be a little bit sad, Mr Smith admitted.

“I will certainly miss it. I think I was fortunate in my life experience, though, to know that when you do something you enjoy it and then you leave it with good memories, and in good hands. If our young people received joy and pleasure from seeing Santa, they should know that Santa received as much in return.”