Is this the most realistic and charismatic Father Christmas in Malaga province?

His name is Máximo Gallego. Although for weeks now very few people have been calling him by the name that appears on his ID card. He is more commonly called Santa Claus. And that is exactly how he defines himself on his Instagram and TikTok social media profiles, where he has almost 70,000 followers thanks to his endearing videos, with messages aimed at children. He is passionate about his role and would not change it "for any other in the world".

If you have young children, his face is probably familiar to you. For the last eight years, as soon as the last month of the calendar arrives, Gallego has been donning his red and white uniform, ready to spread Christmas magic among the children of Malaga province. His destiny was written when casting for the film Toro, back in 2014. "I was in the queue accompanying my daughter, who is also an actress, when the director of the selection process approached me and told me that he wanted me for the filming” but he couldn’t take the part as he broke his arm.

That experience, however, opened new professional doors in the world of acting. First came an advertisement for the Italian coast and, the following year, he played Santa in the Los Alcores Shopping Centre in Seville. "As I love children I decided to apply, and they took me! At that time in Andalucía there was no Father Christmas of my characteristics with a natural beard and they loved it, in fact they wanted me to continue but they offered me another option in Malaga which suited me better and I changed destination," Gallego explained.

But being Santa is no easy task. To begin with, he has to take good care of his white beard all year round to keep it in tip-top shape, "which has led me to turn down more than one very well-paid job", he joked to SUR.

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Máximo can boast of being the most charismatic and realistic Santa Claus in Malaga province. His well-groomed physical appearance contributes to the magic of Christmas and has made him the most sought-after Father Christmas in the province. He has appeared at Muelle Uno, Alhaurín de la Torre, Marbella and San Pedro Alcántara where this Malaga native has listened to children's wishes. This festive season he is in the Miramar shopping centre at Fuengirola.

"Many adults also come to me. The illusion has no age barrier and that is the most beautiful thing about this job," he said. And he reads "all the letters" he is given. One by one. "I can't throw them away". "People have asked me for everything from friends to Pedro Sánchez to leave Moncloa," he said with a laugh.

For Gallego, his professional career is as intense as his real life, which has taken him to countless destinations: from Morocco to Melilla, the Sahara and Fuerteventura, where he got married. He has four children, five grandchildren and a great-granddaughter with Raquel Carrión, his "Mama Noel", who he shares a profile and adventures with on Tiktok. "I feel lucky to work doing what I like the most: being Father Christmas. It's very fulfilling and on top of that I get paid for it," he said.

However, playing Santa has also brought tears to his eyes. Gallego shared the story of a ten-year-old girl who went to see him with her grandmother three months after her mother died of cancer. "She asked to see her again, because she said she had not been able to say goodbye. There are some very difficult moments when you have to find the right words that the child needs to hear. In that case I told her that his mum was a light on a star who looked after her. In the end she was convinced and left with a smile on her face. We all ended up crying. That little girl left a huge mark on me," he emotionally added.