Mr Claus is trying to save Christmas virtually this year. Agreed that Santa’s mission involves spreading a joyful feeling but the man has to keep up with the times by tweaking his business modus operandi to suit these uncertain times. He is Zoom-ing away, FaceTime-ing with countless ho-ho-hos and, of course, he doesn’t mind getting tracked. You can reach the man virtually but a price needs to be paid.

The folks at Ministry of Fun usually book Santa appearances in the UK. Other years, there is no dearth in bookings but then 2020 happened. Instead of sulking in the season of cheers, they have come up with an online experience in the form of Santa HQ, an app that gives children to complete 32 daily tasks besides talking live with the man. There are singalongs, dancing, art and craft, storytelling and much more. All this comes for some moolah. While the 32 interactive videos will set you back by Rs 899, a video call with Santa is from Rs 2,149. Of course, the kiddo will have the ear of the man to ask all those “important” questions.

The app has found support in Wikipedia co-founder Jimmy Wales. “If the experience is good—and we’re trying really hard to make it be a good experience with well-trained performers — then people will talk about it. They’ll say, ‘Oh yeah, this was fantastic.’ It’s much better than standing in line,” Wales has told Bloomberg.

Going digital is one part of the game but looking at its long-term benefits involves a bigger picture. More and more businesses are quickly ramping up to suit digital needs, reaching audiences beyond geographical boundaries.

Also entertaining kids and their jingle-bells-happy questions is JingleRing, an online platform where you can book a call to Santa or Mrs Claus. While booking, parents can request for customisation, like Santa will call the child by name. The company has come up with a virtual conferencing system to fit the situation but you don’t need to download a separate app for that. Pricing is not cheap considering it starts at $24.95. Yes, that’s the cost of 10-20 minutes of live JingleRing.

Keeping up the pricing game is Mr. Kringle & Company, which is a popular name. The company is offering a range of packages for its e-visits, from a pre-recorded video of two or three minutes to a “classic” streaming option with a six to eight minute conversation and deluxe streaming which offers a slightly longer chat.

At the same time, we need to remember that the mall Santa had been in trouble even before Covid-19 took over conversations. Unique start-ups like PackagefromSanta.com have been doing well. Parents could get — for a price, of course — a number of goodies, including a photo of Santa, a personal phone call from the old man and much more. The situation just hastened the process.

Then there’s the Email Santa website where you can shoot a message and Santa will respond in a jiffy with a personalised message. Taking advantage of Zoom calls is Create Holiday Magic where there are options like “My photo with Santa” and “Pet photo with Santa”, besides “exclusive” video story time with the man in red.

How can we forget the issue of good-and-naughty list?! The Portable North Pole app on the App Store and Play Store is here to help. Create a personalised video message and that all-important question answered. Not enough Christmas cheers? Visit Text Santa and sign up to “receive texts from the North Pole to celebrate the magic of the holidays”.

And then we have NORAD, which is always keeping an eye on the skies. Not even the virus can stop the jolly man. The North American Aerospace Defense Command, which has been around for decades, has announced that NORAD will track Santa on December 24. Google too has its Santa tracker, which is a very colourful option for children.

Agreed that one of the world’s most seasonal jobs is in trouble but that crepe wool beard, leather boots, white gloves and fine red jacket has managed to ride into the digital age in a big way. But be careful when you sign up on any Santa-driven website because you really don’t know what kind of information is being collected. Also, ensure there is parental supervision if live video chats are involved.

Anyway, the Christmas Grinch has to delay his plan as Santa Claus is packing in enough digital magic dust to keep the magic alive, however mythical or commercial. It’s been a year like no other and there are a few other characters like Santa Claus who can make kids happy. Happy Clickmas.