With a twinkle in his eye and a nose like a cherry – even without the suit Marc Majoria is turning heads these days. The full white beard, growing since January, makes him look suspiciously like an undercover Saint Nick.
But come next week, when he dons the hat and coat and adds sparkle to his beard, he’ll be a dead ringer for the man in the red suit.
On Dec. 22 and 23, Majoria will be dressed up in full Santa gear from 8 a.m. until 7 p.m. at Majoria’s Supermarket. On Dec. 24, singer Blanche Newsome will join Majoria at the store from 11 a.m. until closing time at 5 p.m.
“Blanche is a great performer and together we will sing Christmas songs for the kids and everyone at the store,” Majoria said. “Actually though, he will do a lot more singing than I will.”
If parents bring their own camera, Majoria will also pose for pictures with their children.
“Meeting Santa is a good childhood memory that I have and it’s great to think that I might have a part in a good childhood memory for these children,” he added.
Majoria, who co-owns Majoria’s Supermarket along with three of his brothers, first grew out his beard to an extremely long length in 1994. But the goal that year wasn’t to look like Santa Claus, but was instead for a trip to Sturgis, South Dakota.
“I had a Harley Fat Boy and went with a friend on a 4,600 mile trip to Sturgis,” Majoria said. “We drove all the way from Luling and stayed for four days before coming back.
“When I came back, I decided to put antlers on the front of the Harley and ride into Majoria’s dressed as Santa. Everyone loved it.”
In 2007, Majoria once again decided to grow out his beard, but this time, it was just for the holidays. He made an appearance at the supermarket as Santa and posed for pictures with children at the store.
Because he enjoyed the experience so much, Majoria had plans to do it again the next year. However, an injury prevented him from posing as the big man in red.
Majoria didn’t let that keep him down, and immediately began regrowing the beard in the first week of January so that he could spread cheer at the store this year.
“It’s worth it just to see the smiles on the kids’ faces,” Majoria said. “All I need is the beard because I’m already an old jolly fat man. And trust me, the kids do test to make sure the beard is real.”
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