Exclusive Interview with Santa Claus | What It's Like to Be Santa (Eddie Cotter, Jr.)

What if Santa Claus wasn’t just a character… but a calling? In this unforgettable episode of The Chris Stefanick Show, I sit down with one of my oldest and dearest friends, Eddie Cotter, Jr.—a longtime Catholic youth minister who unexpectedly took on the role of Santa Claus and eventually ended up appearing as Santa at Rockefeller Center in New York City! What starts as a fun conversation turns into something deeply moving as Eddie tells the story of how he became Santa Claus for his autistic grandson, attended the Harvard of Santa training schools, and has had some truly magical experiences serving in this beloved role. And then… Eddie steps out, and Santa Claus himself walks in for an exclusive interview! Yes. I really interviewed Santa Claus. And yes…I cried. Santa gets deep as we delve into the history of St. Nicholas, the backstories behind some well-known Christmas traditions and legends, and how Santa Claus points us to the real reason for the season—the greatest gift of all. This episode is about hope, goodness, repentance, and the deep truth behind Christmas—that God really did come into the world, and love still wins. You do not want to miss this one. HIGHLIGHTS 00:00 – Intro 02:51 – How Eddie first felt called to become Santa 06:14 – The moment Santa changed Eddie’s autistic grandson’s life 07:17 – “Lord… if You want me to do this, I’m in” 09:05 – Santa school is WAY more intense than you think 14:35 – Why being Santa makes you a better Christian 17:42 – The Rockefeller Center Santa moment 19:37 – “I’ll never live long enough to give back that much love” 31:39 – Santa Claus walks into the studio 36:38 – What it means to be Santa Claus 37:40 – Redemption from the Naughty List 39:12 – The Legend of Receiving Coal 41:20 – The Story of St. Nicholas 46:10 – St. Nick Bows Before the King (A New York Story) 49:54 – Santa's Outift Explained 52:53 – How He Does It All In One Night 59:55 – Milk and Cookies 1:03:01 – Be A Giver 1:04:54 – Santa's Message to Those Struggling This Christmas ........ Learn more about Eddie's work: Eddie's ministry: https://deadtheologianssociety.com Eddie's book: https://deadtheologianssociety.com/product/wisdom-inspiration-from-the-saints-in-a-sentence/ Email Santa: [email protected] Book Santa Claus Eddie: santaclauseddie.com ........ Sign up for The Daily Anchor to get Chris Stefanick's bite-sized reflections every morning: https://bit.ly/48Xfhfk ........ Support the creation of this content by becoming a Missionary of Joy with a monthly gift to Real Life Catholic and get free access to the new Living Peace study series: https://bit.ly/4nTHbN0 ........ Join Chris Stefanick on pilgrimage: https://www.reallifecatholic.com/pilgrimages Chapters (00:00:06) - Interviewing Santa Claus(00:01:00) - The Chris Stefanik Show(00:02:22) - Santa Is Here for Holidays(00:02:50) - Santa Is a Santa for Autism Child(00:09:15) - Have You Changed Since Having a Baby?(00:09:55) - Chris Stefanik(00:13:41) - Santa on Becoming Santa Claus(00:17:03) - Santa Wishes He Could Be Santa Claus(00:22:06) - George Clooney on Christmas(00:25:26) - What Goes Into Santa's School(00:29:37) - Santa on My Show(00:33:37) - Santa Comes to the Kids(00:35:40) - Santa on Being Santa(00:37:42) - Christmas: The Nice List and the Naughty List(00:39:12) - The Legend of The Coal(00:41:15) - The Saint Nicholas' Stockings(00:45:57) - Witnessing the Christmas story(00:51:09) - Santa in the Christmas Story(00:55:12) - Santa Visits Homes Around the World(00:58:36) - Christmas Gifts for the Reindeer(01:01:10) - Santa's elves(01:01:17) - St. Nicholas: The Wonder Worker(01:04:38) - Santa's Christmas message