His father died — now it's his turn to carry on the Santa family legacy
CBC
Peter Boxall sits in a pine green chair, beside a Christmas tree, dressed as Santa Claus, long white beard and all.
"I always said I wasn't going to follow in my dad's steps," Boxall said at his home in Burlington, Ont.
Boxall said he started wearing the red coat in 2013 when his father, Peter Sr., thought it might be his final Christmas and brought Boxall with him to the Santa Claus Wintergames in Norway.
"It brought us closer together," he said.
Seeing the joy it brought to kids, Boxall was hooked. He and his father spent a decade working together as Santa Claus in malls, doing corporate events and taking pictures with kids in their home studio. Between the two of them, Boxall and his dad had almost 40 years of Santa experience.
"When we have the Santa suit on, it gives us a lot of freedom to talk to people you normally wouldn't talk to and they're so receptive," Peter Sr., previously told CBC Hamilton.
The goal with the kids, Boxall said, is to listen and make them happy, but often he and Peter Sr., faced tough questions and had to find the right answer in seconds.
"It can be anywhere from 'will my dad come back?' or 'I lost my dog' … we hear it all."
Peter Sr., was Santa for years prior. He was the head of the Santa family, which includes Peter Jr., his sister as Mrs. Claus and his girlfriend as Misty the elf.
WATCH | Here's how Santa gets ready for Christmas
But this year, playing the role of Santa takes on a new meaning for Peter Jr. after his dad died at the age of 90 on Aug. 23.
"Will I ever adjust to it? Probably not during Christmas season … it's life-changing," Boxall said.
"I know he's here with me, he's always here," Boxall added, as he rang the bell his father once held.
Boxall said he never thought about stopping the tradition.
This First Person column is the experience of Shannon Flaman, who lives in Red Deer, Alta. For more information about CBC's First Person stories, please see the FAQ.
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