Children now meet Santa through Zoom calls

“Ho, ho, ho!” Every year, children will hear this greeting escape from Santa’s mouth as they try to contain their excitement to sit on his lap. But, as the holiday season is rolling around this year, there will be a different approach to Santa’s typical “lap chats”.
Every December, Santa can be found sitting in a large plush red velvet chair with gold trimming in malls or community events. He is surrounded by all things Christmas: presents, reindeer, and sometimes even Mrs. Claus. This year, that will not be the case. Santa will be swapping his traditional lap chats with Zoom chats instead.
In a normal year, families stand close together weaving through Christmas mazes and waiting anxiously for their child’s turn to sit on Santa’s lap. With social distancing in place, sitting on Santa’s lap would not be the safest option for the health of the child, the child’s family, Santa, and others. Some places like larger malls are going through with their annual Santa meet-ups. However, annual photo sessions with Santa are not recommended by health officials amidst the pandemic since they take place indoors. Even if one family meets and interacts with Santa at a time, Santa is still in contact with many people in a short span of time.
With everything in our lives changing, Santa meet-ups are no exception. In our daily lives, we already see ourselves using platforms like Zoom for work and school. Zoom will be one of the safest alternatives for kids that wish to speak to Santa. Generally, the men who take on the role of Santa are on the older and on heavier side of the weight spectrum to fit Santa’s image, making them more susceptible to Covid-19. Thus, by using Zoom’s platform, the health of everyone behind the event will be protected from catching the virus.

Despite the different circumstances, a Zoom chat with Santa will not take away from the usual holiday cheer. Kids will be able to admire the sight of the North Pole, take a picture with Santa, tell him about what is on his or her wish-list, and, most importantly, find out where he or she stands on the “naughty or nice list”.
Many events have changed because of the pandemic but a virtual Zoom call with Santa will be the bow on top of the present for many kids. The coronavirus will not prevent youngsters from spending quality time with Santa and having a jolly time.