As December rolls in and the fairy lights go up, most of us start thinking about mince pies, gift lists and holiday films. But high above the North Pole, there’s one very busy man preparing for the most demanding shift of the year. Santa Claus!
And while Santa may seem like a natural at delivering joy, even he doesn’t rely on magic alone. Nope… Father Christmas is fully trained, fully certified, and takes his pre-Christmas development very seriously. In fact, this year he’s been brushing up on a few key skills to make sure Christmas Eve runs smoother than freshly iced gingerbread.
So, what training does Santa actually take before hopping on the sleigh? Here are the five essential courses he completed to ensure he’s ready for the busiest night on the planet.
1. Working at Height (North Pole Edition)
With millions of rooftops to navigate, Santa can’t take any risks when it comes to chimney-side operations. His Working at Height refresher covers:
Safe landing techniques
Sleigh dismount procedures
Anti-slip boot maintenance (crucial for frosty tiles)
Elf reports confirm his score was 100%, although he did ask if flying counted as “height.”
2. Reindeer Handling & Sleigh MOT Certification
Flying reindeer require highly specialised control techniques, especially when Prancer gets overexcited. This tailored course ensures Santa is up to date with:
Reindeer behaviour and communication
Harness checks
Sleigh emergency procedures
Rudolph’s red-nose navigation system
Yes, the sleigh has an annual MOT… and yes, it always passes.
3. Manual Handling of Oversized Presents
A bulging bag of presents isn’t light, even for Santa. That’s why he attends an annual Manual Handling course to protect his back during the intense gift-distribution marathon.
Key learnings:
Lift with your knees, not your beard
Rotating large toy boxes safely
Avoiding ‘festive fatigue’ when carrying sacks bigger than your body weight
The trainer did politely suggest Santa switch to smaller sacks. Santa declined.
4. Time Management for Global Present Delivery (Advanced)
This is a highly essential course taught by the Head Timekeeping Elf. It covers:
Delivering to 2 billion children in under 12 hours
Scheduling breaks for mince pies and milk
Christmas Eve route optimisation
Avoiding duplicate drops (looking at you, 1997)
By the end of this course, Santa can complete a worldwide shift faster than most of us can wrap a single present.
5. Stress Management for Seasonal Gift Logistics
Let’s face it: Christmas prep is stressful even when you’re not organising a global toy distribution network. Santa’s Stress Management course, another entirely necessary course, helps him unwind before the big night.
He learns:
Deep breathing (preferably not near chimneys)
Mindful mince-pie consumption
Sleigh yoga (yes, it’s as magical as it sounds)
His favourite part? The mandatory hot chocolate break.
Final Thoughts
Even Santa, the king of Christmas cheer, knows that staying trained, refreshed and ready makes all the difference when the world is relying on you. And while you may not be navigating chimneys at high speed this December, you can take inspiration from the big man himself: the right training makes every job easier.
If you're looking to boost your skills in the new year (no sleigh required) Easybook Training has you covered.
Ho ho ho, and happy holidays!