Santa Meet and Greets Are Going Virtual

For the first time in 159 years, the coronavirus pandemic has forced the big guy in the red suit to cancel his visits to all Macy’s department stores across the country. This year, visits to Santa are going virtual.

But don’t fear! Macy’s and Mr. Claus have decided to create an online experience to “replicate the magical experience of visiting Macy’s Santaland.” CNN reports that children will be led through Santa’s village and workshop by virtual elves, and at the end will be able to meet Santa through an interactive video where they will be able to share their holiday wish list and take a selfie. And naturally, there will be interactive games along the way.

So…. an app. Macy’s just made a Santa app.

However, Santa will still be parking his sleigh in person at many malls across the country—but this time, he’ll be behind a plexiglass wall, creating what is being called a “touchless experience” with Santa. Personally, it’s hard to imagine the appeal of waiting in a long line just to look at a random man dressed up like Santa, but to each their own I suppose. According to the director of portfolio marketing with Brookfield Properties, a subsidiary of the second-largest mall operator in the country, this new type of visit with Santa will be like “a drive-up window type of scenario.”

Ah, nothing to put you in the holiday spirit like taking your kid to the mall so that they can yell their Christmas list at a Santa Claus who’s little more than a gussied up window display.