I purchased a Santa suit in the 1990s but have only rarely used it.
On December 7, 2001, I suited up and went to see Tallahassee's Celebration of Lights downtown. I parked my car a few blocks west of Monroe Street along the parade route. Before I had walked a block, I saw a man walking along who looked just like Santa Claus.
I knew I had to have my photo taken with him, so I flagged down a passer-by who took the shot. I had the photograph enlarged and hung it prominently with others on my office wall, the pictures of which I was most proud, a few Halloween, cat and family photos.
Santa and Mitch (l to r)
More than a year later, a co-worker visited and inquired, "Why do you have a picture of my dad on your wall?" I didn't know what he was talking about. He pointed to the photo with me in my Santa suit and said, "That's my dad." His dad was Harry Hughes, and was Tallahassee's Santa Claus. For many years, Harry had dressed as I was in the photo and ridden high atop a City of Tallahassee fire truck in the Christmas parade. It was then that I realized I had seen Tallahassee's own official Santa Claus shortly before he had suited up to ride. I sent a similarly sized copy of the photo to his dad with a note of thanks, and emailed a copy to his son after Tallahassee's long-time Santa Claus passed away four years later.
In December 2004, the Association of Godby Graduates partnered with the Godby High School Construction Class to build and ride a holiday float on an 18-wheeler truck and tractor trailer in the Tallahassee Festival of Lights parade. I played a svelte Santa Claus, riding in a sleigh at the very top and back of the trailer.
Tallahassee's Winter Festival and Celebration of Lights was last Saturday night, and I suited up and brought my grandsons Dylan and Gabriel to walk in the parade with Roger and Florida Senator Bill Montford. Bill Montford is still Godby High School's longest serving principal, and was principal while I was there. He is the first person I met after moving to Tallahassee. He will gladly tell anyone he has a coffee mug in his office with his and my photo on it. We have been friends for a long time, but it was our first parade together -- my second parade walking with a Senator.
Santa was invited for a group photo with the Deerlake Middle School Majorettes.
Senator Bill Montford serves as the Chief Executive Officer of the Florida Association of District School Superintendents (FADSS), and is the Florida Senator from District 6 seeking re-election in 2012.
Roger Day, Senator Bill Montford, Santa Claus (Mitch)
We all walked along in the parade together passing out beads and candy and had a fantastic time. It was my first Christmas parade in seven years. We were float number 43, and I believe there were at least twice that many in the parade. When we finished the parade, Dylan and Gabriel and I walked the couple of miles north on Monroe Street to my car and watched the rest of the parade as it came by. Dylan and Gabriel would often patiently wait for me to catch up, because I was being slowed by well-wishers asking for Christmas gifts, and by the occasional hug from spectators of all ages.
Even though as a child I was never a serious believer in Santa Claus, I have as an adult gained an enormous amount of respect for all that the suit embodies and represents, and demands of the wearer, in return for nothing less than the unconditional love and respect expressed by so many for Santa's persona.
For the first time since 1989, I will be doing two parades in a week. On Saturday, December 10, 2011, I will be participating in my first parade in Havana Florida, in the annual Holiday Festival and Lawnmower Parade. Festivities are from 9:00 am until 7:00 pm, and the parade begins at 1:00 pm.
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