The Organization of a Union
Did you know that in the late 1930s, New York City had an official Santa Claus organization?
It was called the Benevolent Order of Santa Clauses, and it gathered dozens of men who spent the holiday season in red suits, greeting children across department stores and street corners.
The year was 1937, and the Great Depression still hung over the city. Yet, at a Manhattan hotel that December, the “Benevolent Order” held what newspapers described as their first annual convention. Their goal? To bring respectability, consistency, and even professionalism to the growing trade of playing Santa Claus.
A Code of Conduct for Santa
The group took their mission seriously.
They debated a Code of Conduct — rules for how Santas should behave in public. No smoking in costume. No drinking while on duty. Always remain jolly, even off the clock.
The aim was simple: protect the image of Santa Claus, and in turn, the spirit of Christmas itself.
The Great Santa Style Debate
But not everyone agreed on what Santa should look like.
Enter Arnold Johnson, a young and idealistic department store Santa who showed up to the meeting in a “streamlined” Santa suit. Instead of the heavy red robes and big white beard, Johnson wore a fitted red uniform, silver-trimmed boots, and tiny wings on his sleeves — a modern Santa for the modern age.
Traditionalists gasped.
The older Santa’s — with their real beards and round bellies — saw it as blasphemy. To them, Johnson’s futuristic look betrayed the timeless, kindly image of Saint Nick.
To Johnson, though, it was progress.
He saw Santa as a symbol that could evolve with the times.
More Than Just a Joke
The Benevolent Order might sound whimsical, but it wasn’t just a gag.
It reflected the real struggles of working Santas in the 1930s — men who performed long hours for little pay, often outdoors in freezing weather. The Order sought to elevate the role, turning what many saw as a side hustle into a respected seasonal profession.
In a way, it was one of America’s first Santa unions.
From the 1930s to Today
The Benevolent Order eventually faded from the headlines, but its legacy lived on.
Modern Santa groups — like F.O.R.B.S., the Fraternal Order of Real Bearded Santas, founded in 1995 — carry the same mission. They uphold Santa’s public image, share performance tips, and promote charity and goodwill year-round.
Today, thousands of professional Santas gather under organizations that trace their roots, however faintly, back to that 1937 New York meeting — where a group of men, half in jest and half in earnest, decided that being Santa was serious business.
So next time you see a mall Santa adjusting his beard or shining his boots, remember:
He’s part of a brotherhood that started long ago — with a code, a convention, and one young man in a winged red suit who dared to imagine Santa’s future.
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