Jolly Old St. Nick is still coming to town this pandemic Christmas — straight to living rooms via Zoom, Skype, etc. With 2020 being a tough year emotionally and economically, Santa Ric Erwin, who’s based in Hemet, California, says digital visits have been a lifesaver on several fronts. “My economic season was saved. My emotional season has been salvaged. And I’m really having a ball.”
“Hollywood Santa” Ed Taylor says it’s fun to have nine to 12 minutes to talk with families. “The whole conversation is much more, I almost want to say more normal, right? It’s like we’re old friends. It sounds maybe a little corny, but it’s a little more meaningful in a sense. You don’t feel like you’re just a prop there to get a picture with.”