Other Santas worked behind plexiglass, or “one reindeer apart, as we like to say in the Santa Claus world,” says Tim Connaghan, who runs a Santa school and is Toys for Tots’ national Christmas face. (A reindeer, if you didn’t know, is about six feet tall.)
Some Santas tried to go virtual. But the technological leap could be a big step for some among a population that is largely over 65 years old. Mr. Gillotte, a relatively young Santa of 58, led training sessions for Santas on how to make virtual visits.
“Because so many guys had issues with green screen stuff,” he said, “we started transitioning them to ‘just decorating a wall.'”
This strange time has somehow led to a lasting expansion of Santa’s business, another reason why things are going so well these days. Some Santas who discovered the virtual visit still offer it. A few of Santa’s tricks work better that way (it’s easier to perform virtual magic, or glance at notes with all the kids’ names and wish lists).
That means some families who were never able to reach Santa can now do so. And other families who used to think that Santa only worked at the mall discovered during the pandemic that he also made house calls. That kind of Santa work is in high demand.
Of course, it’s hard to say whether Santa will have such good times next year. The economy may sour, or pent-up demand may decline. But there have been dark days before, even plagues and pandemics, said Mr Connaghan, who was in the midst of a series of Christmas gigs with Mariah Carey last week.
“The tradition of Sinterklaas has been around now, what, 17 centuries?”
Ben Casselmanwho embodied the holiday spirit of giving contributed encyclopedic knowledge of government wage data.
