As Ho Chi Minh City residents celebrated Christmas Eve with family and friends, many of the city’s youths spent the night posing as Santa Claus to earn some extra money and bring joy to expectant kids.

In the cool breeze of Saigon’s Saturday night, Pham Van Hung, dressed in red and white, was handing out presents to over 200 guests at a wedding center in District 1.

Hung said he had been dressing up as Santa Claus for the job for six years in a row, and the most difficult part was putting up with the heat and discomfort of wearing the costume.

“We got used to it eventually,” Hung said. “But it’s not just about the costume, as a good Santa Claus poser must also understand children and know how to sing and tell stories to please our little customers.”

Instead of climbing down (non-existent) chimneys during the night, ‘Santa Clauses’ in Vietnam would go from house to house on the nights leading to Christmas to deliver presents.

According to Hung, Santa posers like himself make between VND40,000 ((US$1.80) and 160,000 ($7.20) for each stop on a night’s trip, where they do not only hand out presents but also sing, dance, and tell Christmas stories to kids.

Hung said he would have to put on extra layers of shirts to make himself look as fat as the perceived image of Santa, as customers often complain about “thin Santas.”

“Though it is extremely hot and uncomfortable [to wear multiple layers of shirts], I don’t mind as long as the customer is pleased,” Hung said.

‘Santa Claus’ Pham Van Hung gets ready for a night of present delivery. Photo: Tuoi Tre

Expatriates living in Ho Chi Minh City such as Jason, a Canadian English teacher, also take this once-a-year opportunity to help bring joy to kids in the city.

Jason said it did not matter to him how much he made, as his purpose was to spread the joy and blessings of the holiday season to people around him.

Apart from posing as Santa Claus for money, Jason also joined a group of friends to visit kids suffering cancer at the Ho Chi Minh City Hospital of Oncology in the hope of bringing them more strength to fight the disease.

A Santa poser hands out presents at a restaurant in Ho Chi Minh City. Photo: Tuoi Tre

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