Guess Who Got Laid Off This Holiday Season?

Guess who is finding it hard to work this year during the recession. It's Santa Clause, and all his clones. For freelance Santas, this holiday season has been more "no, no, no," than "ho, ho, ho." Bookings have declined dramatically and pay for the traditional Santa at an office or house party is down by 50% or more. Yep! Some Santa's are being laid off this Christmas. This year has been a bust and Santa's sleigh is being grounded all over the U.S. Even at shopping malls parents are telling the mall Santa they just can't afford a photo with Santa, and that promising big gifts for their little ones is not a good idea. No wonder Santa is unemployed. Mom and dad haven't the money to spend that they had last year.

Nicholas Trolli is the name of the "real" Santa who is the president of the Amalgamated Order of Real Bearded Santas. That group of more realistic looking Santa Clauses has 1,700-members, and they report their wages from personal appearance fees average only about $100 as opposed to the $200 or more per event price they have been getting in recent years. If the "The Nation's Premier Fraternity of A-List Santas," as that group is called, can't get work at normal pay, then who could? Santa Trolli says that the Santa's all around the nation in good years, booked 40 events a season but are down to fewer than 10 o average now. A few who once booked 10 events a year are down to none.

So Santa is stressed out for money this year. Hmmmm It could be a coincidence...but did you hear about the Santa in Rhode Island? Police In Rhode Island say a man dressed as Santa Claus (or perhaps the real one) has robbed a Rhode Island yacht club. The police say that a bartender was alone in the East Providence Yacht Club Sunday night when a large man wearing a red suit, red hat, white beard and carrying a sack walked into the bar and brandished a gun. Could it be? The bartender fled and ran to a nearby business where she called 911, and as of now Santa is still on the loose. I wonder why? It shouldn't be hard to ID that guy, especially when he wears that ridiculous red outfit.

I think that the recession must be worse than we thought. Because when Santa Clause starts robbing at gunpoint (it's not a toy cap pistol) I'm not trusting anyone, not even that carrot stealing Easter Bunny.