Majestic Moments
Eric and Moe Elliot bring the joy of Christmas to folks all year long
By RACHEL STRICKLAND | Photos by BECKY STINEHOUR and courtesy of ERIC and MOE ELLIOT
It’s the most wonderful time of year, and husband-and-wife duo Eric and Moe Elliot take the season of cheer very seriously. The Elliots have a passion for bringing the joy of Christmas to folks all year long by dressing up as Santa and Mrs. Claus for events and parties.
Eric and Moe are retired military veterans, and after serving their country for a combined total of more than 48 years, they decided to use their lifelong love of Christmas to spread joy and give back to others. Thus, the Majestic Nubian Santa was born.
It all started in 2007, while the Elliots were stationed at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. Eric was still on active duty serving in the Army and home between deployments. That Christmas, he dressed up as Santa for his children, and the magical effect it had on them sparked his desire to offer the same experience to others.
In 2018, after the couple retired, they began hosting free community photo shoots in their neighborhood with the couple dressed as Santa and Mrs. Claus, complete with hot cocoa and cookies. The couple has more than 60 Christmas inflatables on their property, which only enhances the experience for visitors. Their home is even decorated for Christmas year-round.
“It’s like a transformation,” Eric said about their home. “Once you come through our doors, you have teleported into Christmas!”
In 2020, a local veteran requested the presence of Santa and Mrs. Claus at an event. From that experience, the demand for their services quickly grew. They began receiving requests year-round to do appearances at churches, senior living centers, schools and daycare centers.
While the holiday season is the time of year when they’re the busiest, Eric and Moe continue to work through the year.
“I honestly thought that (people) only treasured us during the Christmas holidays after Thanksgiving, but no,” Eric said, “it’s year-round.”
The couple has done Easter events and participated in Independence Day parades. They appear as Santa and Mrs. Claus at all sorts of occasions — from corporate parties, military functions, tree lighting ceremonies, parades, restaurant visits, home visits, and even baby showers. And their attire is sure to match the mood of the event because the couple has more than 15 different “Claus ensembles,” ranging from the traditional red and white to a Coca Cola-inspired outfit.
The inspiration for the Majestic Nubian Santa’s name was inspired by an elementary school principal who described them as “majestic” after a school event because of their stunning presence. Wanting to honor their heritage, the Eric and Moe traced their ancestry back to a land called Nubia, located in the southern regions of ancient Egypt. They wanted their name to reflect both the magical energy they aim to bring into the world and their cultural pride.
Throughout their time as the Majestic Nubian Santa and Mrs. Claus, Eric and Moe have had countless meaningful and life-changing encounters with folks who they’ve met along the way. This includes visits to senior centers, where residents have been moved to tears when meeting Santa.
“All we want to do is to spread as much joy and happiness as possible all the time. Every second of the day,” Moe said. “We want people to be happy and jolly and just have a good time.”
Eric and Moe are members of several professional Santa Claus organizations, including the International Real Bearded Santas, Texas State Santas, and Lone Star Santas. These memberships help the couple connect with other Santas and provide support and outreach to local communities. For example, Lone Star Santas delivers toys to Texas families affected by natural disasters.
The Elliots have also appeared on Shark Tank as part of a feature representing the company Hire Santa, where they gave a class on expert gift-wrapping techniques.
Eric and Moe have a passion for spreading joy, hope and positivity. They view being Santa and Mrs. Claus as a form of healing after their experiences in the military.
“We know what the other side looks like,” Moe said. “We call it dark energy, and we don’t want that dark energy to spread. We want people to be happy and bring light energy. Happiness is conditional, but joy is not. Wake up joyous, and happiness will spread.”
“I love to see people smile,” Eric added. “I love for them to have harmonious relationships and just have a wonderful time. And what people may not know is when you’ve seen so much death, from deployments, from fighting, from war, you have to bring joy.”
Through their portrayals of Santa and Mrs. Claus, Eric and Moe aim to spread joy, positivity and love all year long.
To book an appearance with The Majestic Nubian Santa and Mrs. Claus, check their schedule on social media or send them an email at santa@majesticnubiansanta.com.
