There is a nationwide Santa shortage for the 2022 holiday season

There is a huge demand for Santa Claus to come to town, especially during the holiday season, but this year, there is a shortage of Santas.

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If you are planning to take your children to see Santa at the mall or at an event this year, you may want to plan for longer wait times and less availability than in years before, due to the huge demand and a shrinking supply of Santas, according to the Today Show.

HireSanta is one of the companies that works to book Santa Claus for events and like other companies, and they are noticing a huge demand. HireSanta’s founder Mitch Allen told the Today Show that all weekends are booked across the country. They also said that the demand is up 30% from last year and up 120% since before the COVID-19 pandemic.

The demand comes after more in-person holiday parties and mall visits are taking place, but the demand is outpacing his availability, according to WBBM.

The Today Show suggests that for families who are unable to visit Santa because of the shortages, have a family member dress up as Santa. You can rent a Santa suit for photos or buy personalized messages online.

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