Reflections of a mall Santa; Square One’s ‘St. Nick’ relishes the role

SAUGUS – For 24 hours, one day of the year, it is said that Santa travels around the world squeezing down chimneys and spreading holiday cheer. During the rest of the year he works hard with his elves and Mrs. Claus to prepare for the big day.Santa’s job is tough, and lets face it, he’s only one person and he can’t be everywhere. That’s why he needs help from people like Bob Holden.For 10 hours a day, 50 days of the year, Peabody resident Bob Holden sits on a Christmas throne and lifts child after child onto his lap while listening to their unpredictable Christmas requests. He does it all with a smile on his white-bearded face and a belly full of stuffing.For the past four years, Holden has worked as the Square One Mall Santa.The time of the year leading up to Christmas often means crowded malls full of frenzied shoppers, screaming children and people rushing to complete their last minute Christmas preparations; a scene many individuals try to avoid.For Holden, it is the best part of his year.”This is the best job I could ask for,” says Holden, a self-employed carpenter and cabinet maker during the off-season. “There are a lot of smiles in this business.”From Nov. 5 until Dec. 24 (with his only day off being Thanksgiving), Holden spends his days stationed in the middle of the Square One Mall in Saugus at the indoor winter wonderland, listening to hundreds of children a day ask for everything from robots to plasma TVs to a simple pair of mittens.”The small requests are the ones that touch my heart the most,” he said. “You want to be able to provide for these children. It’s my job to give them hope. If I could buy every present and deliver it to them myself, I would.”Holden says he tries to remind children that “the spirit of Christmas” means more than receiving presents.”I tell kids they need to be good during the year and appreciate what they have before they can receive,” he says.Holden says for him, “the spirit of Christmas” means giving children a reason to believe in a season full of family, love and appreciation. He says he likes to remind children of what they have to be thankful for, whether or not everything they ask for will be neatly wrapped under their tree on Christmas morning.”You can’t expect children to not want presents,” he says. “But I also see my job as being one that helps children understand that Christmas means more than getting gifts. I tell them that hugs are the best present.”Holden says since he started being the Square One Mall Santa, the majority of requests from kids have been for electronics.”Four years ago I didn’t know what a Nintendo Wii was,” he said. “They are still a very ‘hot’ request. It’s incredible how much a 5-year-old can know about the newest gadgets.”He says while he gets plenty of the same requests, each child is vastly different from the next. “You never know what is going to come out of the mouth of a child,” said Holden. “They’re all very entertaining in their own ways.”He says his love for children is one of the main reasons why he decided to become a mall Santa.”Kids are hilarious,” he said. “Especially the small ones. They’re questions and reactions are so cute.”Many of those questions, Holden says, regard whether or not his beard is real and are usually accompanied by children tugging on his facial hair.”The beard is real,” he says. “I’ve had it for many years.”Holden says his appearance is another reason for becoming a mall Santa.”About 15 years ago my hair turned white,” he said. “That was when I really started to look like Santa.”After playing Santa for years for his family and friends, Holden decided to take the role to another level. “My wife told me I would do great as a mall Santa,” he says. “I agreed. I thought it would be a lot of fun.”Holden starts his day by putting on his Santa suit in a room in the back of the mall behind closed doors where no one can see him. The suit includes his hat, coat, pants, gloves and boots that add up to about 10 pounds, he says.”But I