Time Capsule Ceremony

Santa’s Candy Castle Opens New Historic Exhibit

Santa Claus Oath returns to Santa Claus, Indiana for Special Ceremony!

SANTA CLAUS, IN -----Santa’s Candy Castle will host an historic ceremony and open a new exhibit on Saturday, November 6, 2010, featuring the Santa Claus Oath display. The new exhibit will include information on Santa Claus portrayers of historical significance throughout the last century. This permanent exhibit will be donated to the Candy Castle by the Santa Claus Oath Foundation.

Masters of Ceremonies for the event will be Santa Jerry Owens of New Albany, Indiana and Santa Gary Isaacson of Santa Claus, Indiana. Owens and Isaacson are the National Co-chairmen of the Santa Claus Oath Committee. During the ceremony, Santa Claus Oath videos will be presented and the Santa Claus Oath Book, along with other documents, will be revealed in a time capsule for permanent display.

The Santa Claus Oath outlines eight principles that any portrayer of Santa Claus should follow. Created in April 2008 by Phillip L. Wenz, the Santa from Santa's Village, the Oath was inspired by two legendary Santa Clauses, Jim Yellig of Santa Claus, Indiana, and Charles W. Howard of Albion, New York.

The only known meeting of the Legendary Santas, Howard and Yellig, took place in October 1938 at the Candy Castle in Santa Claus. It was with great pleasure and historical significances, that on October 12, 2008 the grandsons of each of these men met in the round room of the Candy Castle where their grandfathers met 70 years prior.

It was with great honor that these two gentlemen, the late Will Koch, Jim Yellig’s grandson and Charles Bergeman, Charles W. Howard’s grandson, representing their families and their famous grandfathers recorded the first signatures to the Santa Claus Oath.

The Oath’s historic journey from Santa Claus to 5 countries, 37 cities, and 70 ceremonies has taken nearly two years. Since 2008, the Santa Claus Oath display has traveled to various Santa organizations throughout the world and has been presented at local and regional Santa Claus meetings. The Oath has been signed by over 3,000 Santas and Mrs. Clauses from around the globe.

Now the Santa Claus Oath's journey is coming to an end in the place where it all started...Santa’s Candy Castle in Santa Claus, Indiana. Dozens of professional Santas from across the country will be attending the ceremony representing their local and regional groups.

"The Santa Claus Oath is a reminder to all who portray Santa of the ideals that Santa Claus stands for," says Santa Jerry Owens. "We're honored to have the Santa Claus Oath and these legendary Santas of the past century become part of the history at the Castle and in the community of Santa Claus.”

Media-November 4, 2010