Oh, my dad used to dress up as "santa" when I was in after school care (about 9-12 yrs old) .. .one day I yanked on his beard and discovered who "santa" was.
Now as my dad has aged, he has decided to grow a beard ... and it's neraly zztop length. He came to visit me this weekend (didn't wind up going to Nashville last week). He often wears his "santa hat" at Christmas. Long of the short is that now with the long white beard, the santa hat & sometimes his reading glasses ... he gets quite the stir from the small children who think he is Saint Nick.
Funny the things we remember growing up.