Listen in as the big guy himself, Santa Claus, reveals his favorite reindeer, how his elves prep for the Christmas season and more in this special holiday exclusive of Money, I’m Home. 

 

[transcript]

0:00:07.0 Lynne Jarman-Johnson: Money, I’m Home! Welcome in. I’m Lynne Jarman-Johnson with Consumers Credit Union. This week we have the most special guest that has joined us today, and that is… You know it, Kris Kringle. We’re talking the real Santa Claus. Welcome in, Santa.

0:00:28.4 Santa: Ho, ho, ho. Well, thank you, thank you so much. It’s a pleasure to be here.

0:00:31.4 LJJ: You know, I sent you the first request for you to be on our program, Money, I’m Home, two years ago, and you finally had a little break in your schedule, and I just… I’m so excited that you’re here.

0:00:48.1 Santa: Well, I’ve been busy, real busy, but I had a break and I thought this would be the year to participate in this little endeavor.

0:00:56.6 LJJ: Well, I’ll tell you what, I know that last week, you had a really great time where you talked with many of our Consumers members’ kids, and you were just so delightful. They were so excited. They saw you on a virtual WebEx.

0:01:09.7 Santa: That was my first time doing that. It was so enjoyable.

0:01:14.3 LJJ: You mentioned that this was your first WebEx. Isn’t it just like… How much the world has changed with technology and the different styles and types of gifts that you’re bringing to children these days, must be just eye-opening for you.

0:01:29.7 Santa: It has been incredible. With all the powers of magic that I have, but to think that this is the first time that I’ve had this ability to communicate with those kids. I have to admit to you, I’ve never heard of IT before, but I have elevated one of my elves to become the IT Director at the North Pole.

0:01:49.3 LJJ: Wow, that’s amazing. You know, speaking of the North Pole, this year was a little bit tough for everybody, still is, especially here in Michigan and around the world. We had this virus, this COVID-19. We call it Coronavirus. Did that hit the North Pole?

0:02:09.1 Santa: Oh, well, it has. Fortunately, not as great as it has in other parts of the world, and I’m very, very thankful for that, but yes, and we are taking precautions at the North Pole.

0:02:21.6 LJJ: Would you suggest… I mean, this year, in just a few days, you’re going to be going down millions of chimneys. Are you going to be wearing a mask? Are you asking that the homes… There’s cookies and carrots and things that people give. What about a mask, maybe for you?

0:02:38.2 Santa: Oh, well, those elves are very magical, and they have come up with a mask that I am going to be wearing this year, but it’s one that will not interfere with my job. And if those little kids happen to be awake and catch a sneak at Santa, they won’t be able to recognize the mask; it’s one that’s very clear.

0:02:58.7 LJJ: Wow, it’s like invisible.

0:03:01.4 Santa: Transparent, I’ve been told.

0:03:01.9 LJJ: We’re going to have to… We’re going to have to get information about this. You know, Santa, we have a few questions for you, but I do want to go back to the visit that you had with our Consumers’ kids and our members, and one of the things that I was kind of interested in, is are there hot new toys this year?

0:03:21.0 Santa: Ho, ho, ho, every year there seems to be a couple of toys that are on the top of the list for all these kids, and this year, well, the American Girl doll was remarkably still at the top of the list year after year, and also some interesting things, the LOL doll, and the LED lights, that was…

0:03:41.7 LJJ: LED lights.

0:03:41.7 Santa: That was an interesting one. And then, of course, the Legos and the Barbie dolls, those are also at the top of the list.

0:03:48.8 LJJ: Now, when your… When your elves are busy making all of these toys in Santa’s workshop, are you kind of watching… Do you search Google like we do, to see what’s going on, like what is the new popular toy and make more of those?

0:04:06.7 Santa: Well, my elves are in touch with the world. They have their contacts that let them know what is being wished out there, and of course, we gather that information, and ho, ho, I’m not familiar with this Google, Santa has his own ability to understand what the kids want.

0:04:23.8 LJJ: Well, of course, I should know that. I remember that, and I can’t… I’m so excited to be talking with you via this technology and the fact that your little elf helped us with the IT was just incredible. Magical, I’d say.

0:04:38.5 Santa: Ho, ho, ho, it indeed is magical.

0:04:40.7 LJJ: Okay, Santa. Now, I’ve got 20 questions that were sent in by our members, so if you don’t mind, it’s going to be like a little… Well, just a Q&A here with you, is that okay?

0:04:50.7 Santa: That’s fine with me.

0:04:52.2 LJJ: Okay, Santa. Santa, what’s your first job?

0:04:55.5 Santa: As a boy, my first job was I had to help bring in the crop on my father’s farm.

0:05:02.6 LJJ: Wow, what was the crop?

0:05:04.4 Santa: Well, it was of all things, carrots, and in fact, that’s how I happened to meet a few of my reindeer, they… Well, they snuck on to my papa’s farm.

0:05:13.5 LJJ: That is so sweet. Now that question, that came in from Travis in Wyoming, Michigan. We have our next question. This question comes in from Anto from California, and Anto asked, what was the job that you always wanted to have when you grew up?

0:05:31.2 Santa: Oh, Anto, that’s a great question. Well, this may surprise you, but it in some way relates to what I do now, but I wanted to be a conductor on a locomotive train.

0:05:42.6 LJJ: Really? Why?

0:05:45.1 Santa: Well, I thought that it’d allow me to see the world, give me a chance to be adventurous and, in sort of a way, that’s what I do now.

0:05:52.9 LJJ: Well, absolutely. And one night, kaboom, you’re all over the world.

0:05:58.9 Santa: Kaboom.

0:06:00.6 LJJ: So, this next question, this one comes from… This one comes from Betsy in Indiana, and Betsy says, “Complete this sentence, Santa, on December 24th I… ”

0:06:08.8 Santa: I will be very busy.

0:06:10.7 LJJ: That is true. We have a question that is coming from Jake. Little Jake wants to know, do you have a favorite reindeer? And if so, which one?

0:06:22.0 Santa: Ho, ho, ho, ho, favorite reindeer. Well, of the nine, I’d have to say, Vixen.

0:06:30.0 LJJ: Vixen?

0:06:31.8 Santa: Vixen is a little troublemaker and, ho, ho, ho, he has found some trouble over the years, but, of course, all good trouble. Fun trouble.

0:06:41.5 LJJ: So, would Vixen be naughty or nice?

0:06:45.7 Santa: Ho, ho, ho. Well, if you ask the other eight reindeer, I think they would say, he’s pretty nice overall. And I would agree.

0:06:53.2 LJJ: So, you know, Christmas is a time where we all sing songs, and we just love to sing songs. What’s your favorite Christmas song? Do you have one, Santa?

0:07:03.5 Santa: Ho, ho, ho. Well, of course, “I’m Dreaming of a White Christmas.”

0:07:08.2 LJJ: That’s so sweet, Santa. So are we. Santa, can I ask another question, and this really has to do with years gone by, and you mentioned earlier about the locomotive and the train… When was it that you really realized, wow, Rudolph was going to make a really big difference in your traveling around on Christmas Eve?

0:07:35.2 Santa: Well, let me think about that. It’s been a few years. If I recall correctly, 1939, that was the year. We have had some storms that we’ve had to encounter over the years in our travels, but that year, that year was the worst, and without Rudolph, we certainly would not have been able to bring all the toys to the kids across the world. So that year does stand out in my mind.

0:08:04.7 LJJ: You know, Santa, you have so many people that help you out all year long getting ready with those lists, the nice and the naughty lists. I just was curious on if you ever… Like in mid-year, start to check that list or do you wait? You give everybody the opportunity to correct their wrongs if they’re worried.

0:08:28.2 Santa: Ho, ho, ho. Well, that is an interesting question. Well, I must admit, now with technology, and I’ll have to, again, tip my hat to our IT department, they now are able to update this information very, very quickly, and I must say most of the time, it’s really the naughty list that gets updated, not because more people are being added, it’s in fact, a lot of these young boys and girls are being removed from the naughty list to the nice list because they are doing very, very well to improve on… Well, some of the things that they were doing were wrong.

0:09:03.9 LJJ: And do you think that that’s because you’ve really tried to help them learn get on that nice list.

0:09:10.3 Santa: Well, I’d like to think that I’ve helped, but quite honestly, I think it has more to do with their parents. Their parents have really, really stepped up to help them understand the importance of being nice, and that has really, really been noticed by both myself and Mrs. Claus as well as the elves.

0:09:29.8 LJJ: That is so sweet. We have a final question. This came in from PJ and Levi. Little PJ and Levi want to know if there’s one thing in life of all of the things that you have done and wow, you do some incredible things every year, that you’re most proud of?

0:09:46.7 Santa: Ho, ho, ho. Well, every year without fail, I’m most proud of the fact that those young children, and I hope PJ and Levi are listening, that they never lose hope.

0:10:00.3 LJJ: That’s wonderful, Santa. Thank you so much, it has been a joy sitting next to you. Even though I know we’re a screen away, the fact that you’re here with us virtually at a time when things are… Well, children might just think, “Will Santa be able to get to us this year?” But it sounds to me like it is a year filled with what you just said, hope.

0:10:23.3 Santa: I’ll be there. Ho, ho, ho, ho. Merry Christmas. Merry Christmas to all.

0:10:30.2 LJJ: Oh, Merry Christmas, Santa. And Merry Christmas to all of you who are listening. I’m Lynne Jarman-Johnson with Consumers Credit Union, Money, I’m Home from finance to fitness and a little Kris Kringle thrown in. Thank you so much for being with us today. If you have a topic or an interview guest. I mean, we can’t quite beat Santa, but we sure will try, send them my way. Thank you so much, Jake Esselink for your editing skills, and we will talk with you next week. Merry Christmas, everyone.

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