A strange thing happened as I did some very last-minute Christmas shopping. The lines to take pictures with Santa Claus in the malls were very short. Now, I did not go to 10 malls, but I did go to about three. And each time, there were a few people with very small children ready to take pictures. I mean, it took me aback. On the other side, The Grinch dominates my timelines, when I am in random places like restaurants, or Times SQ…the anti-hero of the Dr. Seuss classic is there.
Scroll TikTok for five minutes in December and you’ll see it. The Grinch pulling up to the mall. The Grinch photobombing Santa photos. The Hood Grinch dancing or jumping out of a box. The Grinch is not just stealing Santa’s gifts…he is taking Santa’s moment.
So, what’s up? Is Santa being replaced?
So no, Santa Claus hasn’t been officially replaced. But culturally, there might be a problem? The Grinch is running a strong December campaign and Santa is getting a bit boring.
We aren’t truly hating Christmas, but things have certainly changed. First of all, we experience the holiday in a number of ways these days. We are on our phones, overstimulated, looking for a dopamine hit and chaotic entertainment.
The Grinch feels current. Santa represents tradition, stability, and the idea that everything will magically work out if you’ve been “good.” The Grinch represents us as truly burned out husks, suspicious of the checkout total, side-eyeing every sale. Also, we have to collectively lie to the kids, who are increasingly smart. My nephew asked me if I was lying about Santa. They are not believing the fat white guy in the read suit stuff as readily as in the past.
And the irony is when How the Grinch Stole Christmas Dr. Seuss was making a statement on consumerism. He was not anti-joy. He was anti-fake joy. He was roasting the commercialization of Christmas long before influencers were unboxing various luxury items, playing in our collective faces.
The Grinch is bringing joy. He dances and is readily available among the people at any given moment. He’s not sitting in a mall. He’s in the streets!
Social media made this inevitable. Santa is sincere. The Grinch is sarcastic and clowns around. He breaks the fourth wall. Santa poses politely and waits for the flash. One is content. The other is tradition.
There’s also something very Hip-Hop about the Grinch’s resurgence, whether people admit it or not. Hip-Hop has always loved the outsider, the misunderstood figure. The Grinch saw through the system before Trump forced common folks to recognize it. The Grinch saw the commercial scam early. Then, at the end, he changed his heart without becoming corny. That’s a redemption arc we can relate to.
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And the data reflects how the furry green guy resonates. December search trends often show “The Grinch” beating “Santa Claus” in search results. This is not because kids stopped believing per se, but most likely because adults started enjoying The Grinch again. The Grinch is the real. Santa is the myth.
It’s a shift, but what does the future bring? That remains to be seen. If the malls are any indication, Santa’s window is smaller and smaller. Yes, Santa still owns Christmas morning, but The Grinch owns the algorithm.
Santa is for kids.
The Grinch is for us all.
So no—Santa isn’t over, but stick to December.
But the Grinch is definitely invited in the house for eggnog and if he lingers…he can even come to the cookout in July. 🎄