No children on their knees, visors and walking outdoors … Santa Claus adapts to Covid-19

DISCLAIMER: This content proposed by the editorial staff of franceinfo may accidentally suggest that Santa Claus does not exist and that most parents are liars.

“Oh look, it’s Santa Claus! Come on, give him a kiss!” Everyone knows that moment when, tall as three apples, amazed by this old gentleman with respectable overweight and particularly generous on the night of December 24, the children discover, amazed, that an astonishing gift of ubiquity allows him to wander in almost simultaneous time at the village Christmas market and in the gallery of the neighboring shopping center. With a smile on their face, the parents immortalize the moment when their toddlers, impressed but proud, or frightened and in tears, take their places on the knees of the illustrious old man.

But now, since the Covid-19 pandemic, ban on hugging Santa Claus, or kissing him. Barrier gestures and distancing have become the norm, as in this large wedding hall of the town hall of the 7th arrondissement of Paris. White beard, hat, white gloves, Santa Claus is there, in the flesh. And it imposes! Here he is ready to welcome the children, offer them a small gift and a souvenir photo. But he is not wearing a mask. “It’s so that we can see his face and that we can hear it well”, remarks Lola, 8 years old.

The windows are wide open. No hugs, no effusions, just a quick stopover for the souvenir photo. “I could also have put myself behind a mask, recognizes Santa Claus, and at this time, we are less able to create the Christmas spirit. So what I wanted is that the majority of my meetings take place outside. There is an exception. “

“When we are indoors, we arrange so that there are not too many people at the same time, that all of those who come respect the barrier gestures, that they are masked. From there, everything is going well.”

Santa

to franceinfo

Behind his little red half-moon glasses and his mischievous gaze, he smiles. “I am vaccinated”, he assures by holding his stomach, his hands covered with long white gloves, which he disinfects regularly with a spray after having touched the children whom he holds by the shoulder. “I stay seven or eight hours in a row without a break, explains Santa Claus, Obviously, I’m not going to go without the sanitary gel on a regular basis because no matter how tough I am, I’m not sure my skin is resistant to this stuff. The compromise I found is also putting up posters and reframe adults who don’t play by the rules. “

Little Lola smiles to her head alongside her little sister, very impressed by the man dressed in red. Their mom Maya kneels beside them for the photo. “We are careful, we wash our hands, but hey, it’s the same magic as usual”, she confides, without a hint of concern. “I still find it very important to maintain these moments of reunion around the spirit of Christmas”, reacts another mother.

This year, a shortage of extras has stirred up the United States and Canada. According to the Tim Connaghan poll, 18% of serving Santas out of the 8,000 to 10,000 in the United States preferred to hang up their coat and go into early retirement. When others died. Mitch Allen, the founder of Hire Santa, a Texas-based company that helps customers book Santas across the country, believes that “more than 335 Santa Claus died this year” because of the coronavirus and other diseases.

But in France, no particular concern. Last year, many actors found themselves unemployed, between cancellation of public events and health restrictions. This year, only corporate Christmas trees were canceled. “All kinds of shows, including parades, we have 70 contracts” for Christmas, explains to franceinfo Serge Jolibois, artistic director of Sésame spectacles, organization of street performances and themed evenings on stage. “Many municipalities have maintained parades but outdoors, which is a priori one of the best measures to keep all the distance since the groups are wandering. It helps to avoid crowds.”

And souvenir photos with the illustrious character are possible, but with respect for barrier gestures. It is also forbidden to climb on the knees. Serge Jolibois and his company have found the solution. “We have thrones which are a little wider than the usual armchair of Santa Claus, it allows us to have the child who sits next to it and not on Santa’s lap., specifies the artistic director. The idea is to keep a distance. “

“When there are a lot of people, Santa Claus puts on a visor. But it’s true that we avoid the mask. In any case, we haven’t yet found a suitable mask for Santa’s outfit.”

Serge Jolibois, artistic director of Sésame spectacles

to franceinfo

Santa Claus is then 50, or even 60 centimeters from the children, themselves masked. These precautions are not always enough: in Meynes in the Gard, Santa Claus tested positive for the coronavirus after spending a weekend in contact with the children of the village. However, Serge Jolibois ensures that his seasonal Santa Claus are not distressed. “They are all vaccinated. However, in Santa Claus, there are some who are over 65 and who do not need disguises, he said with a laugh. But they’re not more anxious than that. In any case, I have no feedback that people are afraid. “

The alternative has also become virtual. In the 1990s, there was Santa’s phone. Who doesn’t remember this ad? “It’s me, Santa Claus, all children can call me, listen to my number!”, said the old man on television.

Twenty years later, it is by video that we can contact Santa Claus. “It is a bit, on the one hand, the evolution of the telephone of Santa Claus that we knew before, the 36 65 65 65, which was ultimately only an answering machine, explains Alexandre Azra, the founder of VisioPèreNoël.com. And then the meeting with Santa Claus, at the company Christmas tree, or in the mall. “

The platform thus allows the child, with the help of an adult, to chat with Santa Claus from his chalet. Or five to ten minutes of one-on-one visio with the Saint-Nicolas, with the video recording as a souvenir. “It’s better than a photo like that, we really have the face of the child who is really surprised, when he sees Santa Claus talking to him about himself and who explains to him that he already knows a lot of things about him. “

“It really brings magic to a recorded message or a quick lap at the mall, it’s really a little show, a real conversation prepared beforehand with the child.”

Alexandre Azra, the founder of Visio Père Noël

to franceinfo

Since its launch last year, the company has more than 5,000 visios on its counter. Today, it is even solicited by companies who cancel their Christmas trees at the last minute because of new government restrictions. In exchange, they offer a gift voucher for a video with Santa Claus for the children of the employees.

Alexandre Azra works with ten Santa Claus who supplement their salary thanks to this innovation. “They are all freelancers who are usually balloon sculptors, comedians, theater actors or children’s entertainers the rest of the year., says Alexandre. They all have independent status and they work from home with their equipment. I send them back some of the material they might lack and they do it from home as it suits them. “

“There is no need to drive or wait for a Wednesday or Saturday to have entertainment.”

Alexandre Azra, the founder of Visio Père Noël

to franceinfo

For these seasonal Santas, the magic is there. “In video, they really have the impression of talking from their chalet, smiles Alexandre Azra. And then they do magic tricks with the green background. “

One of the ten serving Santa Claus – and the youngest – is named Alex. This 21-year-old student has been taking his role very seriously for the past three years. “It is true that it is rare to find a Santa Claus so young, he admits. The magic of the animations means that there is make-up, costume, beard. In general, children see nothing but fire. ” Alex discovered the platform during the first containment, and was able to continue working. “There are a lot of things that we can’t do in real life, that we can do with video like magic tricks, to have information on the children … And then, he doesn’t wear a mask., he justifies. Because when you see Santa Claus, it is already impressive for a child, so if there is the mask on top of it, sometimes it can be a little disturbing for them. “

The young Santa Claus still took over the activities on the markets. “Obviously, there is always a little fear, we will be really in contact with people, he confesses. But the animation, and then the pleasure of bringing the magic to life in general, goes beyond that. “