Back in 1897, Virginia O’Hanlon wrote one of the most famous letters to the editor. “I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus.Papa says, ‘If you see it in The Sun [a New York newspaper] it’s so.’ Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?” Well, Virginia, the answer is a resounding YES! — just visit your local mall. You’ll find Santa, or one his helpers, keeping the dream alive for children young and old. Bookshelf takes a look at the ubiquitous mall Santa by the numbers:
Average age: 65
Average weight: 218 pounds
Those with a college education: 45%
Cost of custom authentic-looking beard: $3,000
Typical work period: most Santas work about 40 10-hour days
Number of visits with children during that period: 30,000
How much Santa makes per holiday season (6 to 8 weeks): $10,000 to $30,000 (some Santas earn bonuses for meeting daily photo quotas)
Number of common on-the-job risk: 5 (being peed on, scratched, bitten, kicked in the shins, hit in the groin)
Amount of liability insurance Santa carries: $2 million
Number of U.S. malls that hire Santas: 1,800
Number of Santa Claus schools: 4 — the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School (the oldest, founded in 1937; now based in Midland, Michigan); the Professional Santa Claus School (Denver, Colorado); the International University of Santa Claus (training sessions typically held on cruise ships); and the Santa School (Calgary, Alberta)
Year that Santa (life-size doll) first appeared in a department store window: 1841 (J. W. Parkinson’s department store in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania)
Year that a Santa met with kids in department stores: 1890 (James Edgar, the owner of a department store in Brockton, Massachusetts)
The year Santa at the mall was popularized in America: 1947 (by the film, Miracle on 34th Street featuring Kris Kringle at Macys)
Average number of photos taken with Santa per location: 4,600
Number of kids who visit Santa each holiday season: 18.2 million
Age of children afraid of Santa: 1 month to 3 years old
For further reading: Yes, Virginia There is a Santa Claus
Twas the Night Before Christmas
A Christmas Carol and It’s A Wonderful Life
Best Quotes from A Christmas Story
The Inspiration for Dickens’s A Christmas Carol
The Story Behind Scrooge
National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation Trivia
For further reading: Uncle John’s Bathroom Reader Christmas Collection (2005)
http://www.newseum.org/exhibits/online/yes-virginia/
http://mentalfloss.com/article/72231/21-behind-scenes-secrets-mall-santas
http://www.rd.com/advice/parenting/13-things-your-mall-santa-wont-tell-you/
http://www.santaclausschool.com
http://www.amerevents.com/santa-claus-school/
http://www.school4santas.com
http://www.santaschool.com
Atkins Bookshelf 
I love these fun facts. Thanks! PS I used to work at a Starbucks in Brockton, MA.
Thanks for your note Jen. It was a fun topic to research. Not a bad way to make a living — as long as you have strong knees… Cheers. Alex