This mall Santa still loves his job after 40 years

SANTA before you see him.

- LIAM SCOTT The Washington Post

“Ho, ho, ho!” he bellows as he descends the escalator. “Merry Christmas!”On this Saturday morning at the Tysons Corner Center mall in Virginia, children and adults smile at the sight of the bushy-bearded man in the red suit.

Accompanied by a security guard, Santa - real name Michael Graham - makes his way to Santa’s Chalet, which is tucked at the end of a hallway near an eyebrow salon. Dozens of children are lined up, waiting to take a photo with Graham and tell him what they want for Christmas.

If Santa were real, he would look like Graham. His white beard and mustache are woolly, his cheeks are rosy, and his glasses sit perched at the tip of his nose. He wears a fat suit to enhance his girth, but even when he’s not in costume, kids still come up to him.