BUDAPEST (Reuters) – With Hungary under partial lockdown to curb a surge in COVID-19 cases, several local companies have started offering online meetings with Santa Claus for children holed up at home with their families.
© Reuters/BERNADETT SZABO
Pillmayer, dressed as Santa, talks as he interacts with children by video, amid the COVID-19 outbreak in Budapest
One of the Hungarian companies that normally rents out Santas for families and business events has come up with several forms of COVID-19-proof meetings.

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They pre-record personalised messages and send them by post or provide online sessions with Santa greeting children from his home office with a Christmas tree and festive lights glistening in the background.
“Which child would expect that while watching some video on a laptop with Mom and Dad, suddenly Santa appears live and calls them by their names,” one of the Santas, Pal Pillmayer said.
“I think this