New York’s grounded Santas get ready for a grotto Christmas via Zoom

The meeting began at 3.15pm New York time with the usual murmured exclamations as participants enabled their laptop cameras. Within a few minutes they were all present and correct: the guy in Los Angeles, someone in Michigan, a few people in Indiana and Ohio, at least three in New Jersey and several executives who head up the New York division.

They were all professionally attired, which is to say that they were all dressed as Santa Claus. “I like your mail room,” someone told the Santa in Michigan, who was using a virtual backdrop of a North Pole post room. “I can change it for anything!” he replied. A snow-lined railway track flashed up behind him.

The Santa Clauses have been meeting monthly online as