Santa Luke has brought Christmas joy to Baltimore for almost half a century
BALTIMORE -- A special Santa has brought joy and smiles to Mondawmin Mall for nearly 50 years.
They call him Santa Luke, and his jolly and encouraging spirit is the best gift for both children and adults.
Luke Durant Jr. was the president of Lafayette Market on Pennsylvania Avenue when the City of Baltimore was in need of a Santa Claus.
There was an initial conversation about who should take the role: Durant or Tina.
"She says, 'If you don't do it, then I'm going to do it,'" he said. "I said, "Alright, well you do it." She put the uniform on, and I looked at her and I said, 'Tina, you can't do it. I'll be Santa Claus,' and the rest is history."
Durant has become a fixture in the community, bringing years of joy to those young and grown.
"He is so encouraging," friend Sarah Gladden Thaniel said. "He always says the best is yet to come, and he said it's only a test, Ge tells us that no matter if we're struggling, this is what we get from him. So, what you see is for real; he is the real deal."
To be a good Santa, a person has to love what they do.
That love, for Durant, is inspired by the memory of his late brother who also used to perform as Santa Claus during the holiday season.
"My brother was Santa Claus. He was my partner, and we were the first African-American Santas in Howard County in a major mall—at Columbia Mall."
There are rumors circulating that Santa Luke might be retiring soon, but Durant said he intends to continue to perform his Santa duties as long as the lord allows him to.