You wouldn't think it would be that hard to find fat guys to strap on a red suit and a fake beard and play Santa for a few hours. It's not like you gotta go to trade school for it. But anyway here we are:

A tight labor market has made it tough to find truck drivers, restaurant workers and retail employees. Add to that list Santas, who are both in high demand, some bookers say, and short supply as some would-be Saint Nicks stay on the sidelines of the labor market. Working Santas are capitalizing on their scarcity value, bumping up hourly rates and packing their schedules.

Many Santas stuck to virtual appearances last year due to pandemic concerns. Now, with Covid cases falling and people eager to gather for the holidays, those in the Santa industry say demand has rebounded and then some.

Concerns about the virus are still high among a group of workers that skews toward older, heavier-set men, and those in the Santa industry say it is harder than usual to find qualified candidates. The shortage has overwhelmed bookers, sent organizations looking for bearded volunteers and forced some event coordinators to settle for Santa visits in mid-October.

Wait a second...let's read that again:

The shortage has overwhelmed bookers, sent organizations looking for bearded volunteers and forced some event coordinators to settle for Santa visits in mid-October.

Okay, no no no no no. That is not okay. I don't care if you can't book a single solitary Santa through the month of December, you don't have a Santa visit before Halloween. That's just ridiculous.

I mean, yes, it's very sad to imagine that so many malls, stores and Christmas parties across the country will miss out on the festivities this year.

Still...the season creep is bad enough already. Keep the Santa appearances until after Thanksgiving where they belong.