We’re now a week removed from Halloween, and you know what that means, time to talk Christmas. Santa will be here before you know it and fair warning, his fees have gone up.
Long-time followers of the blog will recall our coverage of the beginning of this bah humbug trend of allowing children to skip the line to see Santa, so long as their parents chipped in a little something extra. At the time (2011) the cost was an upsetting, but reasonable $2.50 (ish). Four years later, the shopping malls are charging as much as $10 to avoid waiting in line.
But wait. There’s a good reason. They’re hoping the added pageantry will lure people away from their online shopping and back to the shopping malls. Because what’s more tempting than heading to the mall to pay for something that was once a cherished (free) holiday experience?
Did you hear that? That was the sound of the soul of Christmas dying.
To be fair, you can still see Santa without paying, just head to the back of the line. No, keep going… Can you still hear me? Yes? Then you haven’t made it yet. Don’t worry, there’s still 48 shopping days until Christmas, you should make it to the front of that line by then.
Chicago Tribune: Santa comes to a mall near you — for a price
…bi-daily smile…
