In the community of men who portray Santa Claus, there is a longstanding disagreement over the best way to embody the big man. You might call it the Great Beard Debate.
It is a discussion that happens away from the public, for part of the ethic of portraying Santa is to never pull back the curtain. But at Santa Claus schools and conventions, the topic is said to incite great passion and inflame egos, with each side willing to agree on just one thing: the other side has it wrong.
Comments
in many ways, the answer to real or fake comes down not to the whiskers but rather to the heart.
that being said, there is something truly magical about a real bearded Santa.