'I was meant to be Santa': For 57 years, Santa Ed has brought Christmas magic to NJ

For nearly six decades, Ed Broderick has been creating Christmas magic for children around North Jersey. The 83-year-old has no plan to hang up his red velvet suit anytime soon.

He first donned the signature white beard and pointy hat in 1967, for the annual City Hall tree lighting in his hometown of Bayonne. Perched on his sleigh shouting "Ho-ho-ho!" for the first time, he realized he had discovered his calling.

"I was meant to be Santa Claus," he said.

Since then, the blue-eyed father of three and grandfather of six has never missed a year as Old St. Nick.

He carried on even during the 2020 pandemic, when, instead of chatting up children at the tree lighting, Broderick sat in a snazzy red convertible and shouted "Merry Christmas!" as the car rolled for 2 miles down Broadway.

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On a recent morning outside City Hall, faces lit up when Broderick arrived, decked out in his North Pole finery. "Merry Christmas!" he shouted. He waved, high-fived and took selfies with visitors overjoyed to see Father Christmas. "Merry Christmas!" he said to a woman hunched over a walker who beamed back.

Santa Ed smiled back. "Bayonne loves me!"

Mayor Jimmy Davis agreed. “Eddie Broderick is a Bayonne phenomenon," he said. "He has brought happiness to thousands of people for 57 years."

Santa stats

Reliable Santa statistics are hard to come by, but Broderick may be among the longest-serving Kris Kringles in the United States.

According to Tim Connaghan, creator of the 2023 Red Suit Survey of professional American Santas, the average Claus is 66 years old and serves a total of 15 years in the role.

Connaghan, who lives in Hollywood, estimates there are between 8,000 and 10,000 Santas in the U.S. who work a variety of gigs from department stores to commercials or parties.

More: The suit is red and white but the faces are changing. Push is on for more diverse Santas

An informal survey of Santas by The Record and NorthJersey.com found a few others who have worn the scarlet uniform for more than a half-century. Connaghan, who runs a professional Santa school and has authored several manuals for would-be Clauses, has worn the costume for 55 years.

Ray Hulse, 78, of Britain, with 61 years under his black belt, has made headlines for being the longest-serving Santa in the United Kingdom. He wears a tailor-made suit, works out of a custom-built grotto and drives around in a car decorated with more than 200 LED lights and a "SANTA 1" license plate, the U.K.'s Shropshire Star reported in 2019.

George Demer, 92, of Oakdale, Minnesota, told The Record in a phone interview that he has suited up for over seven decades. He started at age 21 because he saw he could make better money than the $1.50 an hour he was paid at his factory job. But it's much more than a paycheck for him.

"I do magic tricks, dance, sing and read stories to the children, and they love it. It's a wonderful experience," he said.

That doesn't mean Demer hasn't faced his share of challenges. There was the party he worked where the kids informed him they didn't believe in Santa Claus.

"That wasn't much fun," he admitted. "I said, 'It's up to you if you don't want to believe in me.'" Tough crowd. But they warmed up to him when he started giving out the gifts.

The Santa Claus tradition goes way back

The tradition of Santa Claus greeting children dates back at least to 1890, when Col. James Edgar, owner of The Boston Store, became the first department store Santa at his business in Brockton, Massachusetts, according to Connaghan.

The mold, of course, was set much further back than that. The Santa legend dates back to at least the third century in the form of St. Nicholas, a bishop who gave away his wealth and traveled the countryside helping the needy. The concept of St. Nick fulfilling kids' dreams with a Christmas Eve slink down the chimney was first popularized in Clement Clarke Moore's famous poem, "Twas the Night before Christmas," originally known as "A Visit from St. Nicholas" and published anonymously in 1823. By the 1840s, American newspapers had holiday ads featuring Santa Claus.

Back in Bayonne, Broderick was cast in the role when he was a youngster in his 20s. A friend who was working for the city of Bayonne told him there was an opening for a Santa who could ride the sleigh and spread holiday cheer for local residents.

At the time, Broderick was working with the city Recreation Department's program for children with disabilities, and "I said I'd give it a shot." He currently is supervisor of Bayonne's Ability Day Camp, a post he has held since 2000.

Broderick was born and raised in Bayonne. His mother died when he was a toddler and his father when he was a teen, so his grandparents were tasked with raising him and his two brothers. "They took good care of us," Broderick said. Christmas was always a happy time.

He was drafted into the Army in 1963. When he returned, he began his work with the city. And his life with Santa was born.

There may be thousands of Santas out there, but only a few are like Santa Eddie Broderick. To him, the role consists of more than wearing the right garb. He embodies the old elf in a way that brings the legend to life.

There's the deep-bellied laugh. There's the jolliness and friendliness he exudes. And there's the patience.

Santa Eddie has spent thousands of hours distributing countless candy canes and presents. He has listened to the wish lists of thousands of children. And he has beamed his way, eyes twinkling, through endless photos taken by enthusiastic parents as their offspring meet Santa for the first time. He has gone to hospitals, schools, cancer support groups, city tree lightings and parades. This year, the Christmas procession through Bayonne was held on Dec. 23.

Broderick has gone through at least nine of his trademark Santa suits — "It's a lot of wear and tear," he said — as he's made his appearances, where children shriek "It's Santa!" and clamor to sit on his lap.

Kids ask him for a lot of things, but the best gift he can think of is good health. "That's everything," said Broderick. No bowlful-of-jelly belly for this Santa: He maintains a lean 185-pound frame with a healthy diet and regular exercise including biking and golf.

"I had to put on a fake beer belly to be Santa," he said with a laugh.

The meaning of Christmas

Broderick doesn't try to discern the naughty from the nice. "I ask them if they were good this year," he said, but he tells all kids that "their names are in my golden book."

Things have changed in the decades since he started spreading Christmas cheer. "I don't think we have the camaraderie and family life today, with so many parents working two jobs," he said. "We don't seem to have the same close relationships anymore. Kids today have their own phones. In my day, we were lucky if we had the dime to make the call."

Does that mean modern children have become jaded, too sophisticated to get excited about seeing him?

Not so, Broderick said. People change, but appreciation for Santa is everlasting. "When I get out there, it's a big moment," he said. "I see it in their eyes. There's excitement in the air. They want to see me, and they believe."

He tells kids about the reindeer who fly only on Christmas and stay at the North Pole the rest of the year, "because that's when I go around to all the girls and boys."

"Being Santa makes a better person out of the person doing it," he said. "I'm very thankful for this job. This gave me a wonderful purpose in life. Being loved by kids is something wonderful."

Deena Yellin covers religion for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to her work covering how the spiritual intersects with our daily lives, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: yellin@northjersey.com

This article originally appeared on NorthJersey.com: Santa Ed brings Christmas magic to North Jersey the last 57 years