Perhaps the only thing worse than being terrified by a mall Santa Claus is not getting to hang out with the guy when your heart is set on it. The family of a 7-year-old autistic girl in California says the youngster was “heartbroken” when she didn’t get to see Santa after a 30-minute wait, because he didn’t like the look of her service dog. [More]
santa claus
California Mall Replaces Santa Accused Of Turning Away Autistic Girl Over Her Service Dog
By 12.2.14
When Is The Right Time For Santa Claus To Set Up Shop At The Mall?
By 11.14.14
There’s Christmas Creep, and then there’s showing up so early to the party that your guests aren’t even aware they’ve been invited yet. At least one mall in these United States has already ensconced the seasonal Santa Claus in his digs, surely giving some Christmas Creep curmudgeons out there a case of the grumbles. [More]
Dillard’s Pulls Sign From Girls’ Department Asking Santa For A “Fat Bank Account” & “Slim Body”
By 11.11.14
Complaining about getting a fat body and a slim bank account for Christmas instead of vice versa sounds like something one might see in a Cathy cartoon ([sweat marks!] “Bikini season, ugh!” [sweat marks!] etc.) But for some reason, a Dillard’s department store decided to display that joke on a decorative sign posted in the Girls section of the stores, asking Santa to please bring a “fat bank account” and slim body. [More]
These 28 Kids Are Not Sure Who This Santa Claus Guy Is, But He Is Definitely Terrifying
By 12.23.13
Every year, kids around the world chirp and buzz and otherwise make delightfully adorable noises about how excited they are to get presents from Santa Claus at Christmas. But the holiday reality of actually meeting the man in red? Well, that’s not always a cause for celebration, as these 27 photos of Consumerist readers’ kids clearly demonstrate. You try meeting a large stranger with a bunch of white stuff on his face and see how you’d feel. [More]
It’s That Time Of Year Again: We Want To See How Much Your Kid Hates The Mall Santa Claus
By 12.13.13
‘Tis the season — to be terrified, angry or just disapproving of mall Santas everywhere if you’re a kid sitting on some stranger’s lap. Last year we had 24 pretty solid examples of our readers’ kids reacting negatively (for lack of a better word) to Santa Claus, and we’re ready to do it again for 2013. [More]
Save Santa: Buy This Hallmark Ornament
By 12.9.13
When we received an e-mail from reader Ryan entitled, “The most brilliantly evil Christmas commercial ever made,” well, our interest was piqued. Surely that bar is very high. There have been some great (terrible) moments in holiday commercial history. [More]
Here’s How Your Kid Can Write To Santa Claus And Get A Response From The North Pole
By 12.6.13
Santa Claus is real, so that’s not up for debate. But because he is kind of devoted to email these days instead of old-fashioned letter writing, the United States Postal Service has decided to help out to make sure your kid can send a letter to Santa and get a personal snailmail response from the North Pole. [More]
In The Arms Of The Enemy: 24 Photos Of Kids Who Really, Really Don’t Like Santa Claus
By 12.24.12
What began with one friend’s photo of a child terrified of Santa Claus has burgeoned into the final gallery of 24 photos submitted by you, our game Consumerist readers. Whether you had one child or two, tears or outright hissy fits, we’d like to thank you for bringing a dash of humor to the whole situation and for being willing to contribute to our bit of holiday fun. Better luck next year perhaps? [More]
Hey, Readers! We Want Your Best Mall Santa Meltdowns For Christmas This Year
By 12.3.12 — Updated: 12.13.13
Listen, I know your kid is an absolute angel, a downright sweetie. See that blond boy screaming his head off like the world is ending and he’s sitting on the lap of the man responsible for the apocalypse? That’s Reid,* and I know as a matter of fact that he is an adorable child when not sitting on Santa Claus’ lap at a Minnesota mall. But get the Big Man involved and plenty of your children (or you, in your diapered years) will turn into red-faced banshees with one goal in mind: “Get. Me. Off. This. Guy’s. Lap.” [More]
Mall Santas Beware: Combining Beards With Rappelling Probably Won’t End Well
By 11.20.12
While Santa Claus ain’t Santa Claus without that flowing white beard, that snowy expanse isn’t the best-suited facial hair for rappelling from a mall ceiling. A mall Santa in England found that out the tangled up way when he attempted to lower himself down a rope to cheering crowds, only to get stuck when his beard snagged on the rope. Chimneys are probably way easier to maneuver. Ho ho ho. [More]
Saks Fifth Avenue Santa Dies Trying To Save Granddaughter
By 12.28.11
A man who worked as Santa Claus at Saks Fifth Avenue Christmas Eve died in a Connecticut house fire the next morning. According to authorities, the 71-year-old man was on the roof of the home trying to rescue his granddaughter when he died. Including the man, five family members perished in the fire. [More]
Postal Carrier Told He Can No Longer Wear Santa Suit On The Job
By 12.21.11
For more than a decade, a postal carrier in Bellevue, WA, has spread Christmas cheer along his mail route by donning a Santa Claus costume over his uniform for a few days leading up to Dec. 25. But after someone complained to the USPS about his Kris Kringle getup, the Santa costume will have to remain in his closet this year. [More]
Dismissed Macy's Santa Finds New Gig… At A Bar
By 12.9.10
Many of you will remember the story from the other day of how a San Francisco Macy’s kicked its long-time Santa to the curb after he made a slightly off-color comment to some adult shoppers. Well it looks like at least someone in the Bay Area has the holiday spirit, because Santa has found new employment where he won’t have to worry about saying something inappropriate. [More]
Macy's Santa Gets Saucy, Ends Up On Unemployment Line
By 12.7.10
After two decades of listening to the wish lists of kids of all ages at the Union Square Macy’s in San Francisco, Santa Claus is out on his jolly old ass. And it’s all over a joke he claims he’s told thousands of times before. [More]
The Lego Advent Calendar — Now With Naked, Showering Santa
By 11.29.10
Consumerist reader Trevor was having a look through Lego’s online shop when he decided to take a closer peek at the company’s Lego City Advent Calendar set. And what he saw there was something that could shake any child’s feelings about Kris Kringle to the core. [More]
North Pole, Alaska Will Answer Letters To Santa After All
By 12.3.09
Letters that children mail to “Santa Claus, North Pole” will be destined for North Pole, Alaska after all, and the letters personally answered by dedicated volunteers. The program was initially shut down for logistical reasons, but restored after Rudolph paid a visit to Fairbanks and taught everyone the true meaning of Christmas. Or something like that. [More]
Walmart: Your Generous Holiday Gesture Is Blocking Foot Traffic In Our Vestibule
By 12.23.08
Barry Goldberg decided that this was the season for giving — so he spent $1300 on $10 Walmart gift cards and stood in front of the store handing them out. Until Walmart stopped him.
Next Victim Of The Economic Meltdown? Santa.
By 11.11.08
Christmas Creep may be more out of control than ever this year (Were Veterans Day sales always Christmas-themed?), but that doesn’t mean that these are happy holidays for professional Santas. Yes, according to the Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas, an organization that actually exists according to the Wall Street Journal, Santa bookings are down. Way down.
