Why Sandra Lee loves being a ‘real’ Santa Claus

Sandra Lee’s resume is chock full of entries — celebrity chef, best-selling author, Emmy-winning TV host — but there’s one that might surprise you: recognized Santa Claus. “I actually have the qualifications to be a real Santa Claus,” the 58-year-old tells AARP. “There’s a whole class you have to do. I did that when I was still First Lady (of New York). However, no one knew. I wasn’t allowed to talk about it.”

Now that the secret is out, Lee plans to continue spreading the holiday cheer this season with a series of QVC specials. Lee says she strives to shine brighter every year: “I think, OK, if I only had 20 Christmases, what would I do? If I only had 30 Christmases, what would I do? They are all important to me. And I plan them.”

Lee spoke with AARP about her most memorable Christmas traditions and gifts, the Christmas movies and songs that make her happy, and the challenges of recovering from her 2015 cancer diagnosis.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

What are the holidays like in the Californian sun after moving abroad?

I’m going to the garden center to buy leaves to put in my garden! I miss Westchester (County, New York) so much. You have no idea.

Where do you get inspiration for your holiday decor?

Everywhere. From January, because there are so many great fairs, not only in the United States but all over the world. The last two Christmases I have been on European Market Cruises, which I highly recommend.

Is it a situation where the whole house is decorated?

There is a tree in every room. There is something on every doorknob. When I was young – I was raised as a Jehovah’s Witness – there was no birthday, no Christmas and never Halloween. I used to stand in the window of this house – I grew up in Sumner, Washington and ask, “Can we just be Jehovah’s Witnesses next year?”

When did you start celebrating the holidays?

Well, when my mother became very ill, I think I was about twelve or thirteen years old and she could no longer control what was going on in the house. And I was allowed to take over. It was great because – I wasn’t yet ‘Aunt Sandy Claus’ (her nieces and nephews have been calling her that for years) – I became ‘Sandy the Elf’… I actually have the qualification to be a real Santa Claus. So I could go to a shopping center dressed as a recognized Santa Claus. There is a whole association and it is quite a lesson that you have to do. It’s a whole thing.

How is your own health (Lee was diagnosed with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) – the earliest form of breast cancer – in 2015)?

I’m still working on it. It takes me years. What happened in 2015 (Lee had a double mastectomy and in 2022 a hysterectomy after discovering a change in some cells) really stripped my body and in stripping my body it has been difficult to get it back… So I work on that every time. day.

Has your thinking changed since your cancer diagnosis?

I live my life and what I want to do. I definitely look at my bucket list and what I want to get done. There was something I wanted to do. I wanted to spend the night at the Ritz in London on Christmas Eve and go to the ball. I did that with my uncle, but we didn’t stay at the Ritz – but I did that last year with Ben (friend/actor Ben Youcef, 45) and it was lovely.