White shirt with ruffled cuffs and matching ascot. Red coat with white faux fur trim. Red vest, suspenders and drop-front trousers. Wide black belt with a big gold buckle. Black boots, white gloves, and a red hat with white trim and pom-pom.
In an hour, Steve Butler has donned them all and is ready to spread holiday cheer as the jolliest of Santa Clauses.
“The beard and belly are mine,” he said, smiling, “but the clothes are thanks to my sister, Debbie, who volunteered her talents as a fashion designer and seamstress. There are also so many accessories, including bells, bags, glasses, and gold chains attached to tassels and bejeweled baubles. Santa’s favorite store is Amazon, and his second favorite store is Goodwill. With Debbie’s help, my outfit wound up costing $1,500; otherwise, I would’ve had to spend $6,000.”
Butler in his “Hawaiian Santa” garb. Some of his clients prefer this local look. (Patrick Ruiloba/Perfect Resolution Photography.) 
Butler displays the certificate he received when he graduated from the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School in 2023. (Courtesy of Steve Butler) 
Butler and his wife, Liz, enjoyed their time at the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School in 2023. (Courtesy of Steve Butler) 
“Grampy” Steve Butler with his eight grandchildren. Another will arrive in July. (Courtesy of Steve Butler)
A resident of Wahiawā Heights, Butler has been portraying Santa for the past 15 years. In the beginning, he did it primarily for family, friends and his church, Waipi‘o Grace Brethren Church in Mililani, where he is a deacon.
“My dad was our family’s Santa from the time I was a toddler,” Butler said. “He was very round and really looked the part. He wore a suit that my mom made, and he was a ham. He always had a twinkle in his eyes and was up for fun. When he passed away, my grandkids begged me to continue the tradition. How could I refuse?”
Butler retired as the supervisor of the Fleet and Industrial Supply Center Fuel Maintenance Department at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard in February 2020, a month before the COVID-19 shutdown. Two years later, when fears about the pandemic had eased and businesses had reopened, he decided to pursue paid Santa gigs.
Toward the end of October 2022, Butler posted ads on Craigslist and Facebook Marketplace that said “Santa is available” and promptly booked a dozen appearances. Over the years, he has shared the joy of Christmas at homes, stores, schools, hospitals, country clubs, craft fairs, visitor attractions and shopping malls all around O‘ahu.
Butler proudly notes he’s a 2023 graduate of the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School in Midland, Michigan, which, established in 1937, is the oldest such school in the world. “Before I found out about it via my Facebook Feed, I didn’t have a clue that Santa schools are a thing,” he said. “Apparently they are, because there are several of them in the U.S. alone.”
Howard was a farmer in Albion, New York, who, dismayed at seeing Santas with frayed suits, unkempt beards and scant knowledge of elves, decided to establish a school to train better representatives of the Christmas icon. He came with credentials, having played Santa at stores in his hometown as well as Buffalo, Rochester, Dallas and Kansas City. From 1948 to 1965, he was the Santa who waved to crowds on a float in Macy's famed Thanksgiving Day Parade in New York City.
Since 1987, the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School has been run by Tom Valent, a 1975 graduate, and his wife, Holly. Open just three days in mid-October each year, the school draws 300 enthusiastic students who quickly discover being Santa is much more than just looking the part.
“What an incredible experience it was!” Butler said. “I was thrilled to meet so many of my brothers in red, and we had a great time learning how to be the best Santa we can be. We got tips about makeup, caring for our suit, and styling our hair and beard. We made wooden toy boxes. We visited a reindeer farm. Reindeer are smaller than you think, and I bet you didn’t know that they can’t eat carrots because they don’t have incisors on their upper jaw. If you were so inclined—yes, I was!—you could join the choir, which practiced after regular classes were done. Have you ever heard dozens of Santas singing ‘Rudolf the Red Nosed Reindeer’? Chicken skin!”
The school’s instructors have portrayed Santa for years and emphasize a code of conduct for students taking on that role. Santa must be punctual. He must not use recreational drugs. He must wear a suit that fits well. He must have good hygiene; he can never be sweaty, stinky or smell like alcohol and/or cigarette smoke. He must love kids and have a friendly, courteous, positive and happy demeanor.
“And Santa never makes promises,” Butler said. “Instead of saying yes or no when a child asks for a specific gift, it’s okay to say something like ‘I’ll talk to the elves, and we’ll see what we can do’ or ‘Since I have to deliver presents to children all around the world, sometimes I run out of space in the sleigh.’ When you put that red suit on, you have to be quick-witted and ready to answer any question.”
Butler’s goal is to ensure keiki leave his lap feeling that Santa has listened to them. “I pride myself on being a personal and interactive Santa, not just a cookie-cutter one to be in a picture,” he said. “I love being Santa, even though not all encounters are joyful. In fact, some are really sad, especially when kids tell me they’ve lost a loved one or their parents are getting a divorce. They ask, ‘Can you get my mom and dad back together again?’ They look to Santa for hope and comfort. It can be a heavy burden. I hug them and turn away to wipe my tears, knowing I have to greet the next girl or boy with a big smile.”
Still, Butler always looks forward to assuming his Santa persona. By this time, he has carefully inspected his outfit, resewn loose buttons, and reattached the removable fur on his coat and hat. He has also ironed the red-and-white aloha shirts and red board shorts for his Hawaiian look, if his clients prefer that. He selected the fabrics for those special shirts and sister Debbie sewed them.
“Oh, it’ll be great fun again this year,” Butler said. “I’ll even get to sing and play my ‘ukulele!”
This year, Steve Butler’s public appearances include the Royal Hawaiian Center, 2201 Kalākaua Avenue, November 26 and 29 and December 10, 13, 17 and 20 from 6 to 8 p.m. (Wednesdays and Saturdays). You’ll also be able to see him at DFS Waikīkī, 330 Royal Hawaiian Avenue, from December 21-22 from 4 to 8 p.m.
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