Mall Santas
The tradition of visiting Santa at a department store is older—and more culturally significant—than most of us realize. The first documented “store Santa” appearances date back to the late 1890s, when retailers in New York and Philadelphia realized that inviting Santa into their stores did something powerful: it turned commerce into ritual. By the mid-20th century, this idea had fully matured, and nowhere more so than in Minnesota. When Southdale Center opened in 1956 as the first fully enclosed shopping mall in the United States, it didn’t just redefine retail—it helped cement the mall Santa as a nationwide Christmas institution.
This date leaned directly into that history.
The morning began simply. The twins colored Santa sheets at the table while Santa Oreo Cookies—milk-and-cookie classics shaped like the man himself—set the tone. It felt intentionally slow, the kind of quiet start that mirrors the anticipation of standing in line later, waiting your turn for something magical.
By mid-morning, Santa’s Little Helper T-shirts were on, and we headed out to Rosedale Center. Bekah had baked cookies for the kids to bring to Santa. At Rosedale’s Santa village, the twins shuffled forward, excitement and nerves colliding in that very specific way only Santa lines produce. Watching them sit for family photos felt like stepping into a tradition that spans generations. The set may change, but the expressions never do.
Back at home, the afternoon shifted into reflection and humor. We rotated through iconic Santa clips—Ralphie’s slide in A Christmas Story, Kevin sitting on Michael’s lap in The Office, and vintage footage of Southdale Center decked out for Christmas. Alongside the videos, we read articles chronicling funny, awkward, and sometimes downright terrifying Santa photos, including the long-running story of two brothers who took a photo together with Santa every year for more than three decades. These weren’t just jokes; they were reminders of how deeply embedded this ritual is in American family life.
The historical thread continued. Before the 1930s, Santa didn’t have a single, standardized look. He appeared tall or short, thin or round, dressed in green, brown, or red. That all changed when Coca-Cola commissioned illustrator Haddon Sundblom in 1931. His warm, jolly, red-suited Santa became the definitive image—and remains one of the most influential branding successes in history.
That legacy showed up in the evening’s drinks and games. Coca-Cola cocktails for the adults, and Minute-to-Win-It challenges using Coke cans for all sorts of games. Afterwards, we layred on “Which Movie Is This Santa From?”, which tested everyone’s pop-culture memory, from The Santa Clause to Miracle on 34th Street.
As the night wound down, we turned to stories from the other side of the beard. Readings from Diary of a Mall Santa and The Santa Claus Chronicles pulled back the curtain on what it’s actually like to hold that role—long hours, emotional conversations, and the responsibility of being someone children genuinely believe in. It reframed the day not as a novelty, but as a vocation with real weight behind it.
The evening ended, fittingly, with Miracle on 34th Street. A film that asks a simple question in a complicated setting: what if belief still matters, even in the most commercial places?
By the end of the night, this wasn’t just about meeting Santa. It was about understanding how he got there—through retail history, advertising, pop culture, and generations of families showing up year after year. For us, it was another reminder that Christmas traditions endure not because they’re perfect, but because they’re repeated, remembered, and shared.
And sometimes, that means lining up at the mall, cookies in hand, believing just enough
Activities
Santa Coloring Sheets & Morning Table Crafts
Santa’s Little Helper T-Shirts
Visit to Santa at Rosedale Center
Vintage Christmas & Santa Clips (A Christmas Story, The Office, Southdale Christmas)
Minute-to-Win-It Games (Coca-Cola Can Edition)
“Which Movie Is This Santa From?” Game
Readings from Diary of a Mall Santa and The Santa Claus Chronicles
Family Movie Night: Miracle on 34th Street
Menu
Santa Oreo Cookies
Chinese Mall Lunch
Coca-Cola Cocktail
