Must be Santa Claus
A friend of mine pointed me to this excellent gallery of pictures of children reacting in terror to Santa Claus. Although I personally was never terrified of Saint Nick, having previously worked in a portrait studio, I have seen Santaphobia in action, and let me tell you, it’s not just fear, it’s pure abject terror.
One of the most excellent Santas in the entire world lives in my hometown. Every season, he throws on his suit and does parties, events, etc. for free for any non-profit effort, and for a small fee for anyone else. He then collects all the fees and donates them to a children’s home. I suspect, seeing as how he once told me that he has to replace his suit every two years, that he manages a pretty good business as Santa.
He looks just like Kris Kringle, complete with year-round beard. When local kids who’ve seen him as Santa spot him around town out of season, he immediately steps into character. “Just picking up some milk for Mrs. Claus. Be good now.”