2020 has been a tough year for everyone, with coronavirus causing lockdowns, separating families, and destroying businesses. COVID-19 has impacted us all. So with factories having to shut down around the world, we wanted to explore how this has affected Santa Claus and his team of elves as they prepare for Christmas. Plus learn more about Operation Covid Christmas!
Workshopedia caught up with Mrs. Claus to get the inside scoop on how the team at the North Pole is pulling out all the stops to make sure it is a joyful, but safe Christmas this year. We created a complete timeline to show the steps they’ve taken to adjust their hard work throughout the year. Plus, we have a look at how new technology has helped them in the toy workshop!
Top Tips for Santa’s Visit 2020
Santa typically relies on the cookies left out for him to help him on his delivery. However, this year is going to have to be a bit different. We have a list of top tips to make sure you have a Covid-Safe Santa visit!
- Please leave out carrots for the Reindeer, and some hand sanitizer, but don’t worry about the cookies!
- Give your fireplace a good clean, to stop the Automatic Present Delivery System from getting damaged!
- Make sure you are fast asleep in your bedroom and leave your stocking downstairs next to the fire!
The Workshop is Closed!
You may not realize but it takes almost the whole year for Santa and his team of elves to get ready for Christmas!
In a normal year, all of the elves take a well-deserved break after the toy making and sleigh packing has finished. Heading off to far-flung places to enjoy time with their family and loved ones.
Though, as we all know, the beginning of 2020 was far from normal. On their return to the North Pole workshop in March, the elves were very disappointed to find it closed down due to coronavirus restrictions.
It turns out that to make the workshop as efficient and joyful as possible it was all very compact inside. This normally allows for the Elves to work in unison, building toys and singing Christmas songs. However, with coronavirus, their close quarters working environment was a potential disaster.
With the North Pole workshop closed there was little the elves could do, since it is very difficult to make toys working from home! Not to mention that the Christmas songs that they rely on to build quickly just aren’t the same on your own.
It seemed like Christmas was going to have to be cancelled!
Setting up a Plan to Save Christmas
Fortunately, both Santa and his Elves are deemed as essential workers. Taking inspiration from the NBA bubble, it was quickly decided that all of the workshop elves would move in and quarantine together to make sure that Christmas was not canceled! They named it Operation Covid Christmas.
The team at the North Pole all feel like one big family anyway, so it wasn’t too bad; however, it was still tough being separated from their families. Even if it was only for 8 months to make sure toys could be built.
Operation Covid Christmas began by increasing the size of the workshop to allow for social distancing. Although this has really thrown off the acoustics for singing! Santa’s factory is normally a very happy place with the Elves all running around hugging. However, the singing has had to stop and there is a firm no hugging rule in place. This hasn’t dampened spirits – the Christmas tunes have been playing as loudly as ever!
Santa’s Covid Timeline 2020
Below is a timeline of events leading up to Operation Covid Christmas! This can help you and your kids understand how much work has been done by Santa Claus and his team to keep Christmas coronavirus free!
Feel free to share this with your friends and family to help them have a magical and safe Christmas.
The Auto Present Delivery System MMXX
The biggest update this year is the brand new Auto Present Delivery System MMXX, or APDS for short – a system designed to minimize the chance of spreading coronavirus between households.
This is a revolutionary new system that allows Santa to land on your roof but not have to enter your house. This way he can respect all social distancing measures.
We were thrilled to hear about the APDS here at Workshopedia. It is a chance for technology to properly help out with the hardest aspect of Christmas Eve – the present delivery! While staying covid safe!
This system is designed to attach to the back of Santa Claus’s sleigh and take presents down the chimney. Once inside it can determine which stocking should have which present by a set of cameras. It can even be overridden by Santa should he spot a mistake.
Once all the presents have been placed into the correct stockings the APDS returns to the sleigh. Here it goes through a full sanitization process before moving onto the next house.
What is Santa Doing To Prepare?
We did manage to get a quick word with Santa. Although even he was complaining of “Zoom Fatigue” from all of his video call visits with children across the world. Santa Clause wanted to point out that prior to his delivery trip he is making every effort possible to be COVID-free. This includes having a two week pre-Christmas Eve self-quarantine period. Although from Mrs. Claus’s reaction, this sounds like a good way to avoid helping to pack the sleigh!
FAQ’s
How many Families does Santa visit each year?
On Christmas Eve Santa has to travel all around the globe to deliver presents to all of the well-behaved children. This takes him to over 800 million households and more than 2 billion children in 41 hours! Yes, that’s over 2,000,000,000 children in the world!
Could the Elves work from home instead?
Unfortunately, they can’t, the toys must be made by hand in the Workshop to guarantee quality. However, we have heard that Santa has been designing new tools to help the Elves make presents while social distancing.
What precautions have been put in place to stop any coronavirus outbreaks in the Workshop?
A brand new part of the workshop has been built alongside the existing workshop allowing for increased social distancing. Plus the NBA style bubble makes sure no one else is allowed in the Workshop and all Elves can be regularly tested. Plus some excellent new tools have been designed that allow the reindeer to lend a hand for the first time!
Will there be any delays to Christmas 2020?
We are pleased to announce that Santa and his wonderful team at the North Pole are determined that Christmas will not be delayed in 2020. They are back on track with packing presents into the sleigh well on the way!
Are Elves able to get coronavirus?
At present we are unsure, but we are taking all precautions to make sure that there is no chance they can catch it. We don’t want to delay Christmas!
Operation Covid Christmas Recap
To make sure that Christmas is as wonderful as ever Santa and his team and the North Pole have pulled out all the stops. Adding social distancing measures to the workshop, months without seeing their families, and even inventing the new delivery machine – the APDS MMXX! So you can rest assured that Christmas will be as wonderful as ever, even if we cant see all the family this year!
Don’t forget to go to bed early on Christmas Eve, Santa Claus can’t deliver the presents while anyone is in the room!
