This year, however, she sits behind a computer screen in Westminster, Colorado, where she lives (with her glorious red and white dress and sensational beard) waiting for her next session to begin. Zoom in “Meet With Santa”.
“It keeps the magic going,” Carmody told CNN. “Santa is a magical, magical character and it’s built around magic. It’s up to us as Santa to recreate that magic without that physical touch. So, yeah, this year we’re thinking outside the box.”
Unlike previous years, where they welcomed children around, listened to them stepping on their wish lists and put up pictures, Santas has had to keep a safe distance from children to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
It has not been easy.
“Is meeting them in Zoom the same as having a child on their lap? No,” Carmody said. “Kids and Santa miss a lot of personal touch.”
“There is a connection when you have that touch, but it can be created virtually if you think from a child’s perspective,” he added. “And it’s necessary, because a lot of Santa Clauses are very vulnerable to the virus and they want to live. We want to protect ourselves, but we also want to protect these kids and provide them with that special connection.”
Across the country, they find innovative ways to wish a Merry Christmas to children and adults.
Creating Christmas magic
When it became clear that the pandemic would not end by Christmas, Carmody began brainstorming to bring Santa to life without breaking the patterns of social distancing.
The schools where he worked made him sit behind a barrier, where he could make a safe wave towards the children as they passed by. But Carmody says it wasn’t enough. He could tell how much the kids wanted to hug him.
To recreate the intimate connection, Carmody began organizing virtual meetings at Zoom, where she talks to the children and their parents. They include the typical chatter: “Have you been a good boy or a good girl?” and “What would you like Santa to bring you?”
But Carmody says the children have also expressed concerns about the pandemic. He says he does his best to calm his fears.
Carmody has also started a new Christmas tradition in Westminster.
Each week, he creates a giant sleigh, with gifts and stockings and reindeer, which his wife pulls out with her car.
Children and their parents stay away from home and make a wave as they make their way through the Denver suburbs, delighting families with their bright smiles and cheerful laughter.
“I’ve received so many messages from families saying how depressed the children are and how terribly sad they have been,” Carmody said. “As Santa, it’s an opportunity to step in and have fun. Not just the kids, it’s their parents, too.”
Help parents feel happy
Roger Minton, a Santa Claus Fowlerville, Michigan, says parents are his priority.
He thinks this year has been especially stressful for adults. Many, he notes, have had to balance the safety and protection of their families with their children’s home education and occupational safety concerns.
“The excitement of adult voices when they see and talk to Santa, that’s why I do it,” Minton said. “To get a sense of joy. It allows them to forget stress for a moment and have fun, just be a kid, because at the end of the day we’re all kids at heart.”
Any other year, he and his wife, Erica, would dress up as Mr. and Mrs. Claus and spend the holidays making crafts, decorating cookies, and putting up family photos. But with the pandemic, they have also celebrated their holidays online.
They use video chat to visit families, not only to listen to wish lists, but to encourage parents to stand firm in the face of so much uncertainty. The Mintons say the experience has been even more satisfying than previous years.
“We think this year has more impact than normal years,” Minton said. “Having a parent tell you, ‘Thank you for bringing us some normalcy,’ is pretty amazing. It’s about the emotional connection and letting families and their kids know it’s okay, Santa’s still here. It means a lot for us. “
Encouraging families to stay safe
Larry Jefferson, the first African-American to play Santa at the Mall of America in Bloomington, Minnesota, has used his position to spread the joy of Christmas. But it is also educating families about the pandemic.
At the beginning of the season, he organized face-to-face visits to the mall. However, the protocols were different from previous years.
Jefferson greeted families behind a Plexiglas window in his Christmas cabin. Visitors had to “holy” their hands and check the temperature. And everyone over the age of 5 was required to wear a face mask at all times, except during the photo shoot. Only Santa Claus was left unmasked.
While the changes may seem daunting, Jefferson, who has played Santa for 21 years, says they offer an opportunity to teach and encourage children to stay safe.
“Kids listen to Santa. Parents know it, we all know it,” Jefferson said. “Today’s kids are very aware of the virus, so the last thing I always ask them is, ‘Are you washing your hands for 20 seconds every day? Do you wear the mask when you go out?’ And they say yes. Even 2-year-olds say yes. “
State restrictions stopped face-to-face visits on Nov. 21, forcing online visits. But Jefferson is determined not to let Christmas spoil him.
“We, as Americans, have to learn to adapt and overcome. Yes, it feels different, very different, but it’s still Christmas and it’s still fun,” Jefferson said. “I love kids and their little hugs and five-five-year-olds, but those kids know what happens to the pandemic. I give them big kisses and they turn me into big kisses, and that’s how it should be for now.”
Carmody, Minton and Jefferson are just three of the thousands of Santas spreading joy this year. But like any great Santa, they won’t let anything dampen the holiday spirit, neither Scrooge, nor the Grinch, nor certainly a pandemic.
“The events of 2020 have tried to steal the Christmas spirit, love, hope and joy,” Carmody said. “And it failed.”