Melissa Rickard

“The Keeper of Christmas Magic”
Battle Creek, Michigan
1974 – Current

International Santa Claus Hall of Fame – December 2025

Melissa Rickard was born in 1974 in Pennsylvania and raised in a home where kindness, generosity, and the spirit of Christmas were practiced every day. That upbringing shaped a lifelong devotion to service, compassion, and preserving the deeper meaning of Christmas.

Her journey as Santa began in the early 1990s when she stepped in for another Santa who had fallen ill. What began as a simple act of service has become a calling for her. For more than three decades, Melissa has carried Santa as a living commitment to compassion, dignity, and human connection. Known to many as Santa Mel, she is a professional female Santa recognized for her soft-spoken visits and quiet reverence.

From malls and parades to NICUs, hospice rooms, shelters, and hospital halls, she approaches each visit with humility, knowing she may be the first Santa someone meets or the last. She holds these moments as sacred trust. Melissa is the founder and lead administrator of Santa’s Magical Fellowship, a global community built to mentor, connect, and support those who serve with heart and integrity.

She is also the founder of Reading with Reindeer, a literacy charity bringing Santa and reindeer into shelters and libraries. Now she’s living in Michigan with her loyal furry companion, Waylon, Melissa honors the legacy of her late husband, Johnny, Peppermint the Elf, through year-round support of the Humane Society. She reminds all who serve alongside her of a simple truth: we are the Christmas magic and together, we are the keepers of it