The graduation picture is a traditional rite of passage. Here, that most conventional of experiences becomes instead eccentric – these men are being photographed after their graduation, not from college, but from Santa Claus School. Arbus often captured moments of humour and irony – a portrait of four Santas would horrify a child still holding faith in the existence of Father Christmas. Arbus was always fascinated with the role of belief, rituals and ceremonies in life, and her discovery of the Santa Claus School would have fitted perfectly with her interests. This picture was made for an article titled ‘The Ho-Ho-Ho Business’, which shows the way that Arbus’s personal projects could often also serve a commercial purpose.