The Legendary Santa
The Official Santa of Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough
Northern Ireland's Premium Santa Claus Experience
5 Star Rated
THE INFAMOUS KRAMPUS
LIES
✦ FOR GROWN-UPS ONLY ✦
THE STORY BEHIND THE LEGEND
There's a real person behind the beard.
Hello, I'm Scott.
Behind The Legendary Santa, I'm a professional performer and entertainer — but first and foremost, I'm a husband and dad who quite unexpectedly found himself stepping into the red suit in 2020.
What started as a little Christmas magic during a very unusual year quickly became something much bigger — and I've been building, learning and developing The Legendary Santa ever since.
This page reveals a little of the story behind Santa's magic, so it's best kept for grown-ups.
My Story
How it all began.
My real name is Scott Wilson, and I've been a professional Santa portrayal artist since 2020 — although I'd dressed as the man in red for family and friends long before I ever imagined it becoming what it is today.
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I've always had a love of performing. Over the years I've sung, acted, worked in radio, played in a rock band, tried my hand at professional wrestling and performed at events across Northern Ireland. I even appeared as an extra in Game of Thrones — although in Northern Ireland I'm fairly certain everyone with a beard did at some point!
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Eventually, life became a little more conventional. I met my wife Laura, became a stepdad to Danny and settled into regular work. A year into marriage and I became a father to my daughter Averie, you won't believe what her name means and that was before the red suit. After years of struggling with my health, followed by the disruption of the pandemic, I found myself at something of a crossroads.
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Then Christmas 2020 changed everything.
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With the usual grottos and Santa visits unable to take place, Laura and I thought it would be nice for me to dress as Santa and visit a few families we knew. One friend shared a video of their visit online — and suddenly the messages started arriving.
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That first Christmas I had a cheap Santa suit, face paint in my beard and very little idea what I was doing. Somehow, families loved it. Laura would spend hours answering messages while I travelled from visit to visit, and what had started as a bit of Christmas fun became something neither of us had expected.
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The following year I decided to do it properly. I began investing in better costumes, developing the character and learning everything I could about creating a believable Santa experience. What followed grew far beyond Home Visits into live shows, community events, media appearances, charitable work and eventually the wider world of The Legendary Santa.
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Today, what began almost by accident has become a huge part of our lives. I'm incredibly fortunate to spend Christmas creating memories for families, while using the platform we've built to support charities, community organisations and families through our Season of Goodwill.
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I'm still learning, still developing and still finding new ways to make the magic feel real.
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My story has only just begun — and I hope you'll come along for the journey.
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HO HO HO
Örrivin Yuligin!
(Merry Christmas in Elvish)
AWARDS & RECOGNITION
Celebrating the journey behind The Legendary Santa.
From professional recognition and international Santa connections to the privilege of representing my local Borough, each milestone has become a special part of The Legendary Santa journey.
✦ RECOGNISED · TRUSTED · PROUD TO REPRESENT ✦
THE JOURNEY SO FAR
Milestones along the way.
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2022
Spirit of Christmas Award
2023
Embodiment of Christmas Award
2024
Worldwide Santa Claus Network Certified
2025
Christmas Cyber Star Award
2026
Official Santa of Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough
✦ A VERY SPECIAL HONOUR ✦
OFFICIAL SANTA OF ANTRIM & NEWTOWNABBEY BOROUGH
On 1st June 2026, I had the incredible honour of being officially recognised as the Santa Claus of Antrim & Newtownabbey Borough.
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The role was formally inaugurated alongside Mayor Leah Kirkpatrick and Deputy Mayor Julie Gilmour, marking a very special milestone in a journey that began with a handful of Home Visits in 2020.
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As someone who lives and works within the Borough, it is a genuine privilege to represent my local community as Santa and to play a part in creating Christmas memories for families across Antrim & Newtownabbey.
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It is an honour I am incredibly proud to carry.
Official inauguration · 1st June 2026
NEED HELP KEEPING THE MAGIC ALIVE?
Advice and guidance for grown-ups navigating those difficult Santa questions.
KEEPING THE MAGIC ALIVE
Because believing is one of the most magical parts of childhood.
Christmas magic changes as children grow. Questions become a little more difficult, friends start comparing stories and eventually many children begin to wonder how it all really works.
Over the years, I've learned a few simple ways parents can help protect that magic for a little longer — and, when the time eventually comes, help it become something new rather than simply disappear.
✦ BELIEVE · IMAGINE · PASS IT ON ✦
KEEPING THE STORY CONSISTENT
Little details can make a big difference.
CONSISTENCY
Children notice far more than we sometimes realise. Different voices, costumes, stories and explanations can quickly lead to questions — especially as they get older.
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That doesn't mean children can't meet different Santas. Santa Helpers have always been part of the Christmas magic. What matters is having a simple explanation ready if they begin to notice the differences.
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Keeping the story consistent helps everything feel like part of the same magical world.
BELIEVABILITY
The most believable Christmas magic is often found in the little details.
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The Legendary Santa has a story behind almost everything — from the North Pole and the reindeer to The List, Christmas Spirit and the traditions surrounding Saint Nicholas.
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Children ask surprisingly clever questions, and having consistent answers helps the magic feel real rather than rehearsed.
WHEN THEY START TO QUESTION
Belief doesn't have to simply disappear.
Eventually, many children begin to ask bigger questions about Santa. Sometimes it comes from friends, sometimes from something they've seen or heard, and sometimes they simply start putting the pieces together for themselves.
When that moment comes, I don't believe the magic needs to end with the words “Santa isn't real.”
Instead, it can become an opportunity to explain where the story began — and what being Santa has always really meant.
✦ FROM BELIEVING IN SANTA TO BECOMING SANTA ✦
Saint Nicholas was a real person who became known for giving secretly to people who needed help.
Over generations, his acts of kindness inspired traditions around the world and eventually became part of the Santa Claus we know today.
As children grow older, they can become part of that tradition too.
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Instead of only receiving the magic, they can begin creating it for someone else — keeping surprises, giving without expecting anything in return, helping younger children believe and carrying the Christmas Spirit forward.
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You don't stop believing in Santa. You become part of what Santa means.
A LETTER FROM SANTA
For when the time comes.
Every child reaches this moment at a different time.
If your child has started asking questions, this letter is something you can share with them when you feel they are ready.
It doesn't tell them that the magic was never real — it invites them to become part of keeping it alive.
A MESSAGE FROM SANTA
Dear Friend,
If you are reading this, I suspect you have started asking some very clever questions about me.
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And that means you are ready to learn one of Christmas's biggest secrets.
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A very long time ago, there lived a man named Nicholas who believed that giving should be done with kindness, without asking for anything in return. He helped people quietly and brought happiness to those who needed it most.
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Over hundreds of years, people continued what Nicholas had started. They gave presents, created surprises and helped make Christmas magical for others.
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And eventually, something wonderful happened.
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They became part of Santa too.
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You see, Santa has never only been about one person in a red suit. Santa is the kindness people show when nobody is watching. Santa is the excitement of creating a surprise for someone you love. Santa is giving simply because making somebody happy feels good.
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When you were little, other people helped create that magic for you.
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Now you're old enough to help create it for someone else.
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There may be younger children, friends or family members who still need people like you to protect their Christmas magic. You know one of the North Pole's greatest secrets now — and that makes you part of something very special.
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So keep the secret. Be kind. Give when you can. Help create wonder.
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And whenever you do…
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Santa is still very real indeed.
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Merry Christmas,
Santa Claus
The North Pole