NATCHEZ — Natchez has been graced with the presence of a new Santa Claus every year since 1928.

Each year, the Santa receives the honor of being chauffeured at the front of the annual Santa Claus Parade on Christmas Eve. More importantly, however, he has the privilege to make children smile.

The 2018 Santa Claus, Scott Christian, said the latter part is the tradition that matters most.

Christian said he enjoys hunting, fishing and playing golf, “just like any other Natchez man,” and he does a lot of traveling with his wife, Robin.

Christian said he is also an avid soccer fan, even traveling to see matches in Barcelona and the World Cup in Germany.

In all of his travels, however, Christian said he has never seen anything quite like a Natchez Christmas, when each year local a businessman puts on a red hat, boots and a beard and parades throughout Natchez.

Christian said he recalls previous years’ Santas taking center stage and welcoming hundreds of children, one by one, to receive their presents at the Braden School Auditorium— something he as a committee member of 10 years has witnessed firsthand.

“People have different ideas about the Santa parade, but at the end of the day, it is all about the kids. It’s a very unique thing that we have here in Natchez.”

Christian, born in Natchez and raised in Jackson, is a certified public accountant and a member of The Gillon Group, PLLC.

Every year on Dec. 26, Christian said he’d pay an annual visit to his Natchez family over the holidays.

Christian said he has been an active member of the Santa Claus Committee since 2008 when he made Natchez his home.

His dad, Johnny, signed him up to join the committee later in life, Christian said, and he continued the tradition by signing up his own son, Will, as soon as he turned 18.

Christian said being nominated by the committee to be this year’s Santa Claus was an unexpected honor that his family has never experienced before.

“I feel honored that they even asked me. Most of the people who become Santa grew up here,” he said.

Christian said the honor doesn’t come from wearing the suit, but rather from seeing the children have a merry Christmas.

“I’m not looking forward to wearing the suit — that beard is itchy,” he said, with a laugh. “I’m mostly just interested in just seeing the expressions on the kids’ faces. That is what this is all about. … Everything else is just stops on the way.”