Santa might be Christmas' main man, but Mrs. Claus would like a word

FORT WORTH, Texas − Sleigh bells ring, and a few dozen twinkly-eyed seniors are listening. Mrs. Claus is in the house, and she’s got a major bulletin to share.

“I’ve come from the North Pole to deliver some very exciting news,” she tells those gathered at Haltom City Senior Center in suburban Fort Worth, Texas, on a chilly December day. “The big announcement is ... you are all on the nice list.”

The elders, many of them in winter pajamas, shout out with glee. Santa, however, is nowhere to be seen. It’s just Mrs. Claus – aka Betsy Modrzejewski of Keller, Texas – at the controls in a satiny red outfit with white faux fur cuffs, cultivating smiles and memories with caroling and a reading of “The Night Before Christmas.”

“It’s a change of pace," said Joyce Hejl, 68, a community senior who is seeing Modrzejewski’s act for the third straight year. "She’s got a great personality.”

Don’t look now, but here comes Mrs. Claus, right down Santa Claus’ lane. While St. Nick might be the season’s marquee draw, Modrzejewski and others say Mrs. Claus’ popularity is on the rise as clients look to break from routine, enlist the character’s motherly qualities and highlight positive female role models.

Though there’s no central registry of Mrs. Clauses, hundreds likely exist nationwide with membership in organizations like the Worldwide Santa Claus Network and International Brotherhood of Real Bearded Santas now open to women. Meanwhile, the esteemed Charles W. Howard Santa School in Midland, Michigan, has seen Mrs. Claus enrollment climb from just 10 two decades ago to 75 this year.

“Quite honestly, we’re not the first thing people think of,” said Trish Viszneki of Dallas, who’s enjoying no shortage of gigs in her fourth season in the role. “But once a person hires a Mrs. Claus they realize the value of having a Mrs. Claus.”

So in demand is Mrs. Claus that Viszneki only has three days without a gig between mid-November and January. “I’ve been turning jobs down,” she said.

But who is Mrs. Claus? Though certain qualities such as a jolly disposition, beard and chubby frame are associated with Santa, few details are linked to Mrs. Claus despite her first mention, according to the Women’s Museum of California, in James Rees’ 1849 short story “A Christmas Legend.”

That’s one reason many performers say they’re drawn to Mrs. Claus: Her relative obscurity offers a freer canvas.

“There are certain expectations from Santa that makes them more similar, but there’s a huge range of Mrs. Clauses,” said Viszneki, 70, who retired after managing child actors in the Los Angeles entertainment industry. “There’s no right or wrong – only that you have to love children, have the true spirit of Christmas in your heart, and want to make memories that last a lifetime. Outside of that, you can be anyone you want to be.”

In Atlanta, for instance, Oretha Mobley performs as Mrs. Granny Claus.

“I am the mother of Santa and a cheerleader for Mrs. Claus,” said Mobley, 63. “The kids ask, ‘Where is Santa?’ And I say, ‘Santa is home resting until Christmas Eve.’”

A victim witness specialist for the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Georgia, Mobley adopted the persona to tap her experience in dealing with troubled children.

“There’s some wisdom in grandma, and children love to be cuddled,” she said. “Grandma can hug you and make things better.”

In Huntsville, Alabama, Aila Hamilton – known as “That Filipina Mrs. Claus, Aila Cringle” – said her Mrs. Claus reflects her Filipina heritage: warm, hospitable and bubbly. “We like to have fun,” she said. “We don’t know a stranger.”

But while plenty of Mrs. Clauses still appear alongside Santas, some are increasingly carrying the show: Modrzejewski, 49, said about 60% of her appearances this season have been solo.

“Mrs. Claus is strong,” she said. “She runs the North Pole. A lot of families want that kind of example for their girls.”

Hamilton agreed.

“A lot of people want to put Mrs. Claus in a box and say she just bakes cookies,” said Hamilton, 48. “My Mrs. Claus is basically queen of the North Pole.”

For parents hosting home parties, there’s other reasons to conscript Mrs. Claus: She can entertain children waiting in line to take pictures with Santa, soothe the fears of little ones afraid of St. Nick or lighten the load for busy hostesses by engaging kids with games.

“If Mrs. Claus isn’t there, then it’s going to be on the hostess to occupy the children,” Viszneki said. “We make the hostess’ job easier.”

Viszneki, who performs as "Mrs. Claus the Evergreen Queen," doesn’t want to pooh-pooh what Santas do or downplay Mrs. Claus’ supporting role. But while some Santas sing or do magic, she said, “a lot of them don’t. They just show up and act jolly and take pictures. Typically Mrs. Clauses bring a little more to the table. We sing or make cookies. We can do a craft night party for little girls. There’s no limits.”

'They love it when I take control'

In addition to senior centers, Mrs. Clauses appear at preschools, day care facilities, retail stores, charity events and corporate fests complete with elves, Dickens carolers and actual reindeer.

Modrzejewski, who serves as her church’s director of children’s ministry and markets herself as “The Spirited Mrs. Claus,” has juggled stints at elementary schools and rehab centers with tree lightings, fundraisers and even podcast interviews done totally in character.

She's now in her third season. Her kit includes puppets, a jar of reindeer hair and authentic sleigh bells; Mrs. Clauses strive to be as professionally prepared as their Santa counterparts, and as part of her training, Modrzejewski visited reindeer herders in Michigan so she could answer children’s questions about the animals.

Mrs. Clauses and Santas who perform together typically confer beforehand to iron out the details of their backstory in case kids ask questions about they met or how long they’ve been married. Hamilton tells audiences that as Santa was making his global gift rounds, he stopped for a break at a bakeshop in the Philippines and it was love at first sight.

“That’s how I became Mrs. Claus,” she said. “We’re always consistent with our stories.”

Performers say it’s also important to get to know each other to ease interaction in front of audiences.

“The one thing we stress at Santa school is that Santa and Mrs. Claus should be an example of love for each other,” said Holly Valent, a Mrs. Claus performer and president of the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School. “Children don’t always see a loving and respectful relationship between couples or their mother and father.”

Still, working with Santa means treading a fine line.

“When Santa and I are together, I know not to overshadow him,” said Hamilton, whose husband, Craig, plays Santa and “elevates his Mrs. Claus.” If event hosts have set up a seat for Santa, for instance, he’ll make sure there’s one for her too.

Viszneki said that when she and Santa step in front of an audience, she not only reads the room but her counterpart as well. With Santas who embrace the limelight, she’ll hold back until beckoned; other Santas don’t care to interact much with her at all.

“Santa’s the star,” Viszneki said. “I’m there to make him look good, but it’s also a partnership. I have Santas I work with who are more timid; they love it when I take control. But I’m never going to overstep my role as Mrs. Claus – I want to work with that Santa again, and we’re there to make sure the guest has a good experience.”

Mrs. Claus' passion for fashion

In Huntsville, Hamilton embraced her role as Mrs. Claus when husband Craig began performing as Santa two years ago to honor a late friend’s legacy. It seemed only natural for both: They’re the kind of couple who put Christmas trees in every room in the house – and since then, it has become more than just a seasonal pastime.

“We made a lifestyle change when we did this,” she said. “Everything in our closet is red, green and gold. Every pair of shoes I have is Claus-ified. We listen to Christmas music year-round. This is not something we do just in the month of December.”

Their son and daughter often perform with them: Shepherd, 18, plays Jack Frost and Marian, 16, is the Sugar Plum Fairy. The family has an entire room dedicated to costumes and makeup dubbed “the Claus-et.”

That’s right: You didn’t expect Mrs. Claus to have just one dress, did you? As with Santa, Mrs. Clauses’ outfits and repertoires are as varied as their audiences, from vintage store period pieces to formal dresses crafted by seamstresses.

Mobley, Mrs. Granny Claus, dons a mix of velvets or satins, cottons if she’s going to be interacting with kids, and a Scottish print if she’ll be reading to a crowd. She also has a round, white fur hat accented with a fashion pin if she’s looking to make a statement.

Before her senior center appearance, Modrzejewski notes that her dress’ cuffs and collar are detachable so she can remove them before washing.

“That’s something I learned from the Santas,” she said. “Otherwise they’ll turn pink.”

Modrzejewski wraps up her senior center appearance with a carol sing-along, then poses for photos with a stream of elders suddenly revisiting their youths, listening as they share holiday memories and details about their grandchildren.

“She just brings so much joy,” said center supervisor Bobbi Arthur.

Modrzejewski’s work is done. In a flash of red, Mrs. Claus picks up her feet and disappears into the frosty air until next year.