Mrs. Claus Comes to Coastal Georgia

Story by Cindy Reid
Photography by Leidy Lester
 

The magic of Christmas is best seen through a child’s eyes. No one knows this better than our very special annual visitor, Mrs. Claus.

At Santa’s specific request, Mrs. Claus leaves her home at the North Pole to come down and visit with the children of coastal Georgia for a few weeks before the big day.

Santa Claus is of course beloved, but for many little ones he can also be a bit overwhelming. His size, his beard, and his big, deep voice can all intimidate a child.

Mrs. Claus has “Santa Glamour” but is very comforting. She smells like candy cane and gingerbread, and her hugs are as warm as a mug of hot chocolate. Her sparkling holiday garb “comes from my heart” she says, and children, especially the girls, love touching her soft red velvet dress.

“I love bringing Christmas joy, merriment and wonder to the children of Richmond Hill,” she says.

All About Mrs. Claus

Richmond Hill is fortunate to have Mrs. Claus visit, as she is usually very busy at the North Pole.

“I help Santa in many ways, but my primary role is to train the elves,” she says. “I teach the elves how to read, because reading is very important to Santa and myself.”

On her belt you’ll find two Golden Keys:  “One key is to my library of Christmas books,” she says, “and the other is to the pantry because elves love to sneak snacks!”

There are many holiday books in Mrs. Claus’s library, but her favorites include Piper’s Night Before Christmas, by Mark Lowry, for the little ones, and Yes Virginia There is a Santa Claus, by Francis B. Church, for the older children. She also helps out with the year-round holiday baking at the North Pole.

“Everyone asks me what Santa’s favorite cookie is and the answer is whatever one he is eating, because Santa loves all cookies!” says Mrs. Claus.

And regarding the infamous naughty or nice list, Mrs. Claus says she always tells children who may have been naughty that, “We still have time; everyone makes mistakes so apologize and do better the next time.” She emphasizes the importance of manners and tells children to “listen to your parents—and brush your teeth!”

Even though children often ask her, Mrs. Claus never reveals her age and she says she will never retire because she loves her work.

“Santa and I have been married so long I've forgotten how long,” and they have no children because “the elves are our children.”

Most importantly she stresses that Christmas is not about the presents. “Santa says the favorite gift is the one you didn't know you wanted,” she says. “Christmas is a surprise!”

All About the Reindeer

Little known fact: all the reindeer who pull Santa and Mrs. Claus’s sleigh are girls. Mrs. Claus says that reindeer are incredibly funny and they like games of all kinds. Their favorite snack, besides carrots, is celery with salt—and they chew with their mouths open!

Dasher is Mrs. Claus’s very favorite reindeer and is in charge of transporting her to all her events. She says, “Riding with Dasher is like riding in a convertible,” and because Mrs. Claus does not like to have her hair mussy, she usually wears a beautiful wig to keep it nice for her visits.

Mrs. Claus says all reindeer are very shy. “The reindeer love children but they won’t come and get me if they think they'll be seen by people. When I leave the children need to look out the back window and look for us in the sky,” says Mrs. Claus. “If they look, they will see us up in the stars!”

Home Visits

Mrs. Claus brings the warmth and magic of Christmas right into your home with a personalized visit that creates magical memories to last a lifetime.

She only goes out at night and because she is on “Christmas time,” her elf will text their hosts when she is on her way. She arrives accompanied by an elf, and during the 30-minute visit, she shares stories and even some secrets from the North Pole.

Visits usually include reading aloud from Christmas books, holiday games and special messages from Santa.

“I am always getting detailed messages from Santa, good things he may have seen a child do or things to work on. Sometimes I bring a surprise gift from Santa at the end of my visit!”

She says, “I am so incredibly grateful to get to visit the sweet children of Richmond Hill. With every door that opens, I feel like I am home.”

Although you can reserve a private home visit, Mrs. Claus appears at many community events so that any child can meet her, such as the City of Richmond Hill 27th Annual Christmas Parade on December 2.

Through the Eyes of a Child

Mrs. Claus says she is honored to create a moment in so many childhood memories.

“Even teenagers still want to be a child at Christmas. When they ask me ‘is Santa real,’ I answer, ‘what do you think?’ Loving, kind and giving, that’s truly what Santa is, and older children still want a loving presence, a warm smile and a comforting hug.”

Even Mrs. Claus uses social media to stay current and she always references or adds the hashtag #throughtheeyesofachild because, “I want people to always be reminded that children are people too. Sometimes adults forget we are shaping our future generations with every interaction we have with children. If we could only view the world through the eyes of a child, the world would be so much sweeter.”

She says, “What a glorious feeling to have children in the world. They are our true gifts and how lucky we are to watch and discover the spirit of Christmas through their eyes. To me #throughtheeyesofachild means innocence and joy, faith and trust, hope and their future.”

Home visits are prearranged and there is a nominal charge.
Events must be for children as Mrs. Claus’s time is very limited. Her schedule is arranged through Head Elf Kallie, who can be reached at: 𝐦𝐫𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐠𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐠𝐢𝐚@𝐠𝐦𝐚𝐢𝐥.𝐜𝐨𝐦

To keep track of Mrs. Claus during her coastal visit check out:  @MrsClausCoastalGeorgia  |   @mrsclasucg.