WILLIAMSBURG — Until a year ago, if you asked David Cederholm if he ever imagined playing Santa, the answer would have been no.
“My daughter had suggested that I grow my beard and hair a little bit so I could become Santa for my grandson,” Cederholm said.
After some thought, Cederholm decided to start letting his beard and hair grow over the summer and then began the hunt for the perfect Santa suit.
He says 2023,his first year as Santa, was a huge hit.
“The day after Thanksgiving last year was when I first put the suit on and actually went in public. My first real event was a 7-year-old’s birthday party that was a Christmas-themed birthday party. It was really weird and I felt a little out of place in public, wearing something so recognizable. It was different, but what I found amazing was that when I put on the suit, it really did all come together,” Cederholm said.
Cederholm was no stranger to Santa. His father, David Sr., also portrayed the jolly old elf.
“My dad was a Santa. I never saw him as a Santa, he lived out in Phoenix and I was never around when he actually wore the suit. He talked very openly about it and he’d come to visit us in the summer, and we’d go out someplace and he just played the part right up. Kids would just look at him and he would just play the part, all year round,” Cederholm recalls.
After the success of the 7-year-old’s birthday party, Cederholm officially launched Santa Chronicles of Williamsburg. Cederholm said he is aiding Santa during the busy holiday season and since the launch, he has appeared as Santa at Christmas parties, with the Hampton Fire Department, private events and more.
“I keep a very open mind about the events that I do. My thought process with all of this has really just been let’s see where all of this goes. If it goes someplace great, that’s good and if it doesn’t, maybe I had some fun along the way and some other people did too,” Cederholm said.
As Santa’s schedule starts to get busier, Cederholm hopes to add some new stops to his list this year, including doing more charity events. On Santa’s Facebook page there is an updated listing of where he will be appearing this holiday season.
Cederholm hopes to continue to build the business by creating an email for Santa and an official website in the future. Overall, he said he’s having fun portraying the special holiday character for all its worth.
To find out where Santa will be or to schedule him for an event, visit Santa Chronicles of Williamsburg VA on Facebook.
