I remember as a kid being so excited about seeing Santa at the mall. Or anywhere really.<\/p>\n
It was always a little scary and you were always a bit nervous, because, well, you were a kid.\u00a0 You were so afraid Santa really DID<\/em> know ALL and that for sure, this year was the year you’d be put on the “naughty list”.<\/p>\n “But Santa, I can explain…..”<\/strong><\/p>\n There is something magical about Santa.\u00a0 The red suit.\u00a0 The bag of toys.\u00a0 The ability to deliver all those toys in just one night. This bigger than life character.<\/p>\n But never did I expect to see these “other” holiday characters at the mall and I’m not sure what I think of this story.\u00a0 Other characters.\u00a0 Like the Grinch<\/strong> and Jack Skellington<\/strong> taking over Santa’s spot at malls all across Canada.<\/p>\n My son is almost thirty, living on his own in Calgary, and he LOVES all things Nightmare Before Christmas.\u00a0 I’m not sure what he would have done at the idea of meeting Jack Skellington at the mall before Christmas as a kid.\u00a0 I’m not sure he would be EAGER to meet him and shake his skeleton hand.<\/p>\n But it’s happening at more and more malls across Canada. People are lining up for hours to see spooky Santa alternatives.\u00a0 More people are lining up to see The Grinch than Santa and I’m not sure I like where this is going.<\/p>\n I guess not everyone wants the traditional Santa anymore.\u00a0 Which makes me kinda sad.<\/p>\n Whether it’s the Grinch, or “Mean Green Santa”, or even “Spooky Santa” ( a tall, thin skeleton with a big round head who looks a lot like Jack Skellington) – these other characters are gaining in popularity and I’m not sure what I think of this.<\/p>\n Maybe these “other” characters are geared more toward the adults and older kids, but still.<\/p>\n And they play the part.\u00a0 When kids visit “The Mean One” (who looks a lot like the Grinch) he stays true to the character.\u00a0 He might throw things on the floor, offer a candy cane, and then break it in half.<\/p>\n Merry Christmas?\u00a0 I think the best part of the Grinch movie is that in the end, he has a change of heart –<\/p>\n “His heart grew three sizes that day”<\/p>\n