While my side of the family has some interesting history when it comes to Thanksgiving, my husband's family has Christmas covered in that area.
Charles W. Howard is my husband's great uncle. He is known as the most noteworthy santa of all time. He began enacting as Santa in 1935 after working as a toy manufacturer. He worked as the Santa-in-chief at Macy's in New York. During this time he appeared in the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and in the store throughout the season.
Charles W. Howard opened the first ever Santa School in Albion, New York in 1937 because he saw so many Santas perform poorly. Department stores would send their Santa impersonators to his school in the fall for training. They learn everything from proper Santa hygiene to how to answer each child's questions to the history of St. Nicholas. The school is still open, but is now located in Midland, Michigan.
Here is an old brochure from the school:
