The key facts

  • The Ministry of Fun Santa school is held for the 28th time; the training took place on 12 November in south London
  • Santas learned sign language, studied toy trends and how to handle delicate situations
  • According to the organisation's report, bookings for Mrs Claus grew by 32%, while the average visit to Santa lasts 3 minutes 45 seconds

Pre-season training

A few weeks before Christmas, dozens of performers playing Father Christmas swapped festive grottoes for classroom desks in south London: on 12 November they completed the annual training, the aim of which is to make meetings with children as magical as possible. In their familiar red Santa suits, they rehearsed the greeting 'Merry Christmas' in sign language, studied current toy trends and learned how to answer unexpected questions from young visitors.

What is taught and who runs it

The courses are organised by the company Ministry of Fun; the school is in its 28th year and trains performers for appearances in shopping centres, department stores and festive venues across the United Kingdom and beyond. A separate part of the lessons is devoted to sensitive situations: for example, if a child asks for divorced parents to get back together, or for an ill relative to recover — here, according to the logic of the training, kindness and attentive listening matter more than promises.

What the annual report says

As part of the training, Ministry of Fun presented its annual State of Santa report on changing Christmas traditions. According to the organisation's research, bookings for Mrs Claus grew by 32%, while 60% of children still send paper letters to Santa. Mince pies remain the main treat on Christmas Eve — they are on 77% of plates, but kombucha made its debut, appearing on 2% of tables. Another figure in the report sets a practical framework for the performers' work: a typical visit to Santa lasts just 3 minutes 45 seconds, so for experienced Santas the task is not so much to know the latest toys as to make every child feel heard and to preserve the magic of the holiday.