Santa Claus faces tough times in the age of coronavirus

In late October, with COVID-19 cases on the rise and Germany slowly coming to the realization that the pandemic's second wave was bitter reality, a bearded man — who lives not in the North Pole but in the Lower Saxony town of Celle — despairingly reaches for his razor. 

Willi Dahmen, who everyone simply calls Santa Claus, trims his impressive beard to three centimeters (1 inch) long — in normal times a celebratory act which the 68-year-old pensioner saves for shortly after Christmas.

But it's been clear to Dahmen for several weeks now that his personal highlight of the year, making thousands of people happy by playing Santa Claus, needed to be cancelled because of COVID-19. "I'm heartbroken! You wouldn't believe how much of a blow this is to my psyche," Dahmen says. "I'm Santa Claus through and through, and I miss that now." 

Being Santa's not a job, it's a calling

Serving as a local Father Christmas has been Willi Dahmen's passion for more than 30 years. The story of how he began is as good a Christmas tale as any. He had been working at the employment office in Celle and oversaw the hiring of Santa Clauses.

When this service was suddenly discontinued, but the need for the jolly bearded men remained, Dahmen took up the reins himself. His journey to becoming one of Germany's most-booked Santas had begun.

"At a department store in Bochum I handed out presents to 1,224 children. In one day, in only 10 hours," Dahmen remembers proudly. He filmed an advertisement for a brewery with real reindeer and has been the face of Air Berlin's Christmas advertising campaign three times. Even without his big red coat and hat, children are convinced that he is Santa Claus.

Dahmen's phone normally rings hot from the middle of the year with enquiries from advertising agencies or requests on his website. From November he's usually rushing about, heading to company parties, shopping centers or Christmas markets. "Normally I'd be travelling across Germany every day now."

Safely being Santa during a pandemic

Normally. But what's normal this year, 2020, the year of the coronavirus pandemic? Even Father Christmases must miss out on gift-giving this year — Dahmen donates most of his earnings anyway. Of course, he could wear a mask, but that alone isn't enough for him.

To him, being Santa Claus means closeness, and how would that work with social distancing rules? "For example, when children see me and run to me wanting a hug, what should I say? Stop, please keep 1.5 meters (5 feet) away?"

And there are also the visits to aged care facilities, which Dahmen holds very close to heart. When he's not being Santa Claus, he volunteers as a helper for senior citizens. "When people who have dementia recite me the poems they have written and we sing together, I'm always very moved," Dahmen says. "I'd never be happy again if I were the one to spread the virus there."

Santa agency develops comprehensive protective measures

It's part of Jan Mitja Biehl's job to categorically rule that possibility out. He is the founder of Hamburg agency Blank and Biehl, one of Germany's largest suppliers of Santas for years. 

"Our Santa clauses wear FFP2 [virus filtering] masks inconspicuously under their beards and usually hand out presents outside," says Biehl. "Our Santas must also change their gloves regularly. And we avoid singing because of the aerosols."

But at his agency, requests for Santa Clauses have dropped by a quarter this year. The 41-year-old businessman offers customized Santa packages — a pensioner or perhaps better a cheaper student, a storyteller or a children's choir. And for those with deeper pockets, a sleigh with reindeer. 

Early retirement for older Santas 

"Many of our older Father Christmases have now taken early retirement due to the coronavirus pandemic, because they don't want to risk being infected," Biehl says. The entrepreneur is trying to make the best of the situation and speaks in detail with his customers about each event, to avoid any risk of infection.

Despite this, Christmas 2020 wasn't a good one for his business. Biehl hopes that his sales pick up again next year. And of course, that all his bearded workers stay healthy. Willi Dahmen also has a similar wish for Santa Claus: "That the celebrations run smoothly and that after Christmas the news isn't full of rapidly increasing coronavirus numbers."

This article has been translated from German.