By Associated Press, 11/25/02

MIDLAND, Mich. -- It's not easy being Santa Claus.

Just ask the men and women who get a jump-start on the holiday season with three days of training at the Charles W. Howard Santa Claus School.

The session begins with classroom work on St. Nicholas traditions worldwide. Then comes instruction on makeup, wigs and beards, wardrobe, music, even sign language.

Santa students also learn a few dance steps, and a special education teacher offers tips on communicating with special-needs children.

Field trips to toy stores highlight what's new for each season.

Tuition is $260, or $130 for returning students, but that's just a fraction of a Santa's expenses. A good wool suit can cost $1,000 and a natural-looking wig and beard runs from $500 to $2,500.

"It's quite an investment to do it right," said Tom Valent, dean of the school.

Fifty men and women from 17 states attended the school this year, more than half of them veterans who said they never stop learning.

The school's founder, Charles W. Howard, was technical adviser for the Christmas classic "Miracle on 34th Street." Others continued the school after his death in 1968.

"The toys have changed," Valent said, "but the children are the same."