As Christmas time rolls around each year, parents get eager for the “perfect” Christmas card and tend to resort to one thing–pictures with Santa. The concept of Santa being at the mall could be an exciting idea created by loving parents, but it’s completely the opposite.
One of the most common sights at a typical mall during the holiday season is a parent struggling to keep their child on Santa’s lap. The kids scream loud enough for the entire mall to hear. Moms are so desperate for the perfect picture of her kid with Santa, they put not only their child but everyone else in the line through torture. The kids who never even wanted to be there have to wait in this long line to sit on Santa’s lap, sparking fear and discomfort.
Although it is “tradition” for kids to get pictures with Santa, the overall scene at the mall is odd and way too chaotic. It is too crowded, moms are bickering with their kids and possibly other families, depending on how dedicated they are to the perfect picture, and it creates an uncomfortable situation for the child. The scene of the event should be changed somewhere more relaxed. A change in the setting may make things run smoother and reduce the stress for the kid and everyone else attending.
Like Santa being in malls, many big places have people dressed in costumes, for example Disney World. There are going to be people dressed as Snoopy and other characters, but men dressed as Santa is a bit of a different situation. Santa brings you onto his lap and he congratulates you for being a good girl or boy, but in today’s standards, is that really appropriate? Most Santas DO get a full background check prior to obtaining the job, but still, a kid is sitting on a random man’s lap telling them if they’ve been naughty or nice recently. If a child is all for the tradition and willingly runs and jumps up onto Santa’s lap, the tradition could simply remain innocent and sweet. If not, this tradition is more naughty than nice.
Santa at the mall is a tradition that is way out of season. Even if the tradition is able to stay safe and innocent, it still puts everyone at the mall through unnecessary chaos during the month of December. Santa at the mall leans more naughty than nice.
