The holiday season means many families are seeking a Santa Claus to kindle the spirit of Christmas in their children. Although growing older may dull the magical curiosity once felt around Christmastime, seeing Santa at a local mall or holiday festival can bring back those old feelings as we wonder what the merry, bearded man’s story is.
Despite having never met, two Chattanooga Santa Clauses lead very similar lives when it comes to their Santa journeys. Both have full-time day jobs when they are not in the red-and-white suit. Both of them decided to “become” Santa after an encounter with a stranger. And they both have witnessed the children and families they meet experience a range of human emotions. Most importantly, though, they have in common a full, white beard that launched both of their Santa careers.
A Santa’s Promise and the Legacy of a Belt Buckle
When Brian Weaver first stepped into the Santa suit six years ago, he and his wife, Jodi, had just moved to Chattanooga from Dayton, Ohio. As a 47-year-old corporate business manager, he never imagined he would become Santa Claus later that year.