Meet Louisville, KY’s Own Mrs. Claus
Louisville resident Amanda Spalding spends her free time portraying Santa's famous wife, Mrs. Claus. We sat down with Amanda to learn how she got her start, where she gets her clothes, and more!
With the holiday season upon us, thoughts turn towards that jolly white-whiskered elf, Santa Claus, whose main job is delivering good tidings and special gifts around the globe on December 24. Yet, the desire to join the holiday fun stretches far beyond the traditional ‘Santas Club.’ Hundreds of women have gotten in on the act to spread Christmas cheer, too.
Such is the case for Louisville resident Amanda Spalding. You won’t see her sporting a fake beard or a pillow strapped to her mid-section to replicate Santa’s girth, but she has taken on a different role: portraying Santa’s wife. She is the lovely and talented Mrs. Claus.
Amanda embodies Mrs. Claus to a ‘T,’ especially when she dons one of her many colorful Christmas gowns and speaks glowingly and knowingly about the elves, the flying reindeer, and the magic of the workshop. She has a kind, sweet face, a gentle smile, and a certain sparkle that makes you genuinely believe she’s the North Pole’s matriarch.
Though knowledgeable about all things’ Claus,’ Amanda hasn’t been a Mrs. for very long. In fact, she had never given the idea serious thought until about seven years ago. So, how did this all come about?
Amanda has had a long and varied career path. When she was younger, she joined the United States Navy and served six years as a photographer’s mate. “We provided all facets of photography,” she explains, “everything from taking the pictures to developing the negatives and printing them up. We did things like portraiture, surveillance, and drug intervention photos.”
After serving, Amanda attended nursing college at Spalding University in Louisville, eventually working in a hospital setting as a bedside nurse in orthopedics, neurosurgery, and coronary critical care.
She advanced in her healthcare career and has held the positions of Regional Director of Clinical Reimbursement for Extendicare Health Services and Preferred Care Management Group, Corporate Director for Case Management and Clinical Reimbursement for Deseret Health Group, Regional Director of Clinical Reimbursement/Lead MDS Coordinator for Signature Healthcare. Now, she is the Manager for Humana’s Sub-Acute Nursing Facility and Home Health Review Team.
Amanda’s entry into the world of Santa Claus began more than 20 years ago when she agreed to go on a blind date with her now-husband, Jay Kluckhohn. As they dated, one of the many things he discussed was his desire to be Santa. It was his goal to attend Santa Claus University after he retired.
After his confession, her response was: “OK, OK.”
But Jay’s wish to bellow out, “Ho, ho, ho,” professionally began to progress rapidly when his friend Tom Dobbins, a well-known Louisville Santa, invited him to attend a meeting of the group called Bluegrass Santas. Amanda decided to go along. Jay’s desire to portray Santa was just too strong, and he and Amanda realized he couldn’t wait until retirement to begin his Claus journey. “Jay was sold,” Amanda says. “He was ready to bring out his inner Santa immediately.”
Amanda wasn’t quite so sure about all of it. “I wasn’t sold on the possibility of being Mrs. Claus,” she admits, but she did agree to attend a Santa conference in Denver, Colorado. That’s when she began to change her mind about joining her husband on this magical path.
“I met other women who portray Mrs. Claus, and they encouraged me to attend a course called ‘Santa Nana’s Holiday University,’ which was being held in Ohio,” she explains. “It was an easy drive up there, so I went. There, I fell in love with the idea and decided, yes, I can be Mrs. Claus.”
During the seminar, one activity required the participants to weave a tale about how Santa met his wife. While many might freeze at the idea of an impromptu speech, this was Amanda’s time to shine. Her quick imagination and deft storytelling skills soared. The women in the group were wrapped in her narrative.
“I was able to hold the audience in the palm of my hand,” Amanda recounts. “I convinced them that my meeting Santa was magical. I told them snowflakes were falling and fairies were dancing about. There was a cold breeze, but it wasn’t uncomfortably cold, and the air smelled like peppermint. It was then that Santa knew I was his Mrs. Claus.”
Amanda was hooked. She no longer questioned whether she could be Mrs. Claus. She began turning the idea into a reality by seeking stylish costumes and outfits adorned in holiday greens and reds. She knew she did not want to portray a matronly Mrs. Claus whose main tasks were baking cookies or scolding naughty elves. “My first costume came from a company called Holy Clothing,” she says. “It was a white chemise with a green overdress. It was a Renaissance-style dress.”
She discovered her second dress in downtown Louisville at the iconic Caufield’s, a popular costume and novelty store for over 100 years. “It was a long red dress with white fur trim, and it came with all the little accessories. I fell in love with it and tried it on,” she says. “That was the dress!”
The Claus community has gladly welcomed Amanda into the fold. In turn, she has been a great supporter of the Claus family. She and Jay have appeared at a variety of venues over the years, including Wild Eggs Restaurant, Westport Village, and with the Eastern High Band Holiday Boutique, the Louisville Orchestra, and at a family gathering at the home of Karen Lawrence, the mother of The Hunger Games actor Jennifer Lawrence.
Amanda has taken her participation even further — she’s involved with the International Brotherhood of Real Bearded Santas (IBRBS). She is a former board of directors member for IBRBS and is currently a member of the membership committee. This organization brings Santas, Mrs. Clauses, and other Christmas performers together for fellowship, socialization, and fostering of the Christmas spirit.
“Also, there are trainings that go on that discuss anything from working with dementia patients to what toys are popular for the season,” she says. “Anything Santa and Mrs. Claus would need to know, chances are, we can learn it there.” The conventions and training sessions also provide a one-stop shop for background checks and performers’ insurance.
She and Jay are also quite involved with the Bluegrass Santas. The group supports the Santa Christmas community in four states — Kentucky, Tennessee, Ohio, and Indiana. They hold gatherings to provide education and training, and they can share their experiences — good and bad. “It kind of gives a sounding board to the Santas and Mrs. Clauses to discuss things that have happened to them during the year and how to handle them,” she says. “One of our big topics was, how do we handle Covid? During Covid, we had to have virtual meetings, which turned out very well. It’s a great way for the Claus community to get together and stick together, and we help each other. Also, if a Santa or Mrs. Claus isn’t available for a job, we post those on the Bluegrass Santa job board.”
Now that she’s been Mrs. Claus for nearly a decade, we have to ask Amanda the burning question, “What do you enjoy most about being Mrs. Claus?”
“That’s easy,” she smiles. “Just being able to see the joy on people’s faces. That’s the best part. The children’s joy is just so infectious. But when you bring it to an adult, that’s when you don’t expect it. I don’t want to say that adults are jaded — they know that’s not the real Santa or Mrs. Claus — but when we can suspend their disbelief, even for a few minutes, they’re able to forget all the bad stuff that’s going on in the world and be in this happy, magical bubble.”
All photography provided.
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Julie Engelhardt
Julie Engelhardt is a California transplant who moved to Louisville nearly a decade ago and still loves discovering her vibrant city.