MIDLAND, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – Tom and Holly Valent, who run the non-profit Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School in Midland, Michigan take their mission very seriously. That mission is “To uphold the traditions and preserve the history of Santa Claus while providing students with the necessary resources to improve and further define their individual presentations of Santa and Mrs. Claus, allowing them to enter the hearts and spread the Christmas spirit to everyone they meet.”

Tom says on their website, “Being Santa is a privilege not a job.”

The school was founded back in 1937 by Charles W. Howard, a farmer in Albion, New York, who started it as a direct response to his displeasure with seeing other Santas in frayed suits and cheap beards and a “shockingly inadequate knowledge of reindeer.” Howard wanted better Santas and the school was the way to achieve that goal. He also created a Christmas-themed park with many barns, a train and some reindeer where children from miles around would visit. Those visiting children included Tom Valent who lived about an hour away from Albion. Charles’ future wife Holly also went there as a child too.

Holly said, “As a little girl I sat on Charles Howard’s lap too. We were from a small town. Every child wanted to go to Christmas park.”

Charles Howard was also THE Santa as the featured Santa Claus in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade from 1948 to 1965.

The school’s website says that the school was taken over by Nate Doan in the 1960’s and the school moved to Bay City. In 1975, Tom Valent attended the Santa School and has been running it in Midland, along with his wife, since 1987. It is a non-profit organization and the longest continuously running Santa Claus School in the world. The school gets about 300 new students every year, some new and some returning Santas.

The Valents have also conducted Santa Schools in other countries including Germany, Ireland, Spain, South Africa, Switzerland and England.

The school for Santas is held once a year in the fall with people from all over the world attending. The dates for the next school are October 5-7, 2023.

Santas do not need to bring their own suits and beards as they can get those items and the accessories needed from vendors at the school. As expected, the Santas will learn things like dressing properly, how to make toys, singing and how to be jolly.