SAN DIEGO — There is a national shortage of Santas this year as the pandemic continues.
According to HireSanta, requests for St. Nick have skyrocketed 120% since last year.
What You Need To Know
- There is currently a national Santa Claus shortage
- Requests for Santa are up 120% since last year
- Experts say many moved away or are not performing because of pandemic concerns
- Kenneth White is one of San Diego's only Black Santas
Kenneth White is a man who is trying to fill the gap while also bringing diversity to the Christmas legend. He is one of San Diego's only Black Santas.
“It’s very rare to see a Black Santa around," his wife Justina White said. "So we thought it’d be a great thing for the city of San Diego to have a Black Santa.”
The idea started last Christmas, when their entire family dressed up to take photos at Balboa Park, and kids kept coming up to White asking for photos. They went all out this year, even buying a custom-tailored suit from Hollywood.
“I just come out here to make the kids smile and, you know, make them happy,” White said.
Brittany Skipper owns Royal Entertainers and said the demand for Santas this year is higher than she’s ever seen before, causing a shortage not just for Black Santas, but all Santas.
“I really think that everyone’s kind of coming back to life this year," Skipper said. "Next year, we can expect it to be even bigger and better than it was this year.”
Skipper, who's been renting out Santas for over a decade, cites concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic and people moving to cheaper states as some of the reasons for the national Santa shortage.