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Visiting Santa
Posted by:
Kchi
(---.dsl.chcgil.ameritech.net)
Date: December 01, 2012 06:08PM
I would like to hear from people of different ages of their memories of visiting Santa. I was lucky enough to grow up in the late 50s early 60s where the city still had shopping districts with free standing non-mall stores like Weiboldts,Goldblatts,Sears,Montgomery Ward etc. Not being in a mall each of these stores usually had thei own toy departments and a Santa Claus.
Coming from a working class family,purchasing toys were reserved for Birthdays and Christmas so it was magical to a young child to see the Christmas displays being erected.
I wonder whether younger people get the same joy from a Santa in the center of a mall with a paid photographer and shopping for toys at stores like Target, WalMart or Costco where they don't even bother with Christmas decorations.
Coming from a working class family,purchasing toys were reserved for Birthdays and Christmas so it was magical to a young child to see the Christmas displays being erected.
I wonder whether younger people get the same joy from a Santa in the center of a mall with a paid photographer and shopping for toys at stores like Target, WalMart or Costco where they don't even bother with Christmas decorations.
Re: Visiting Santa
Posted by:
Mornac
(---.dsl.chcgil.ameritech.net)
Date: December 04, 2012 12:49AM
I was born in '58 so my Santa days were in the early '60's and were usually at the Sears on Lawrence. There was always a not-too-long line and I think he was near the staircase. After a few years, they moved the whole affair into their parking lot one block east (probably due to sales floor space concerns). In the parking lot. Santa had a tiny house - undoubtedly to battle inclement weather. The line went in the front door and out the back. I was always a little creeped out by visiting Santa but I was convinced that it was something I had to do in order to get the things I wanted. Curiously, I don't remember getting much of what I asked for.
Re: Visiting Santa
Posted by:
Dunning1
(216.81.94.---)
Date: December 04, 2012 12:53PM
Our yearly visit to Santa Claus was a really big deal. Typically, it was just a few days before Christmas and my mother and grandmother would take us down to Marshall Field & Co. first for lunch under the big tree in the Walnut Room. We would then go and visit Santa at Field's, and then usually also visit Carson's and Wieboldt's. My father would leave work early that day, and there would be a Christmas Party over on Washington Boulevard sponsored by his employer. At the end of the day, my grandfather would drive downtown to pick us all up, and we would fall asleep in the back of his Packard, very tired kids indeed.
