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Brazil's Santas are out of work

In a normal year, Gino Esposito would be on his way to a job he’s done for years

dressing up as Santa to sit in malls across Rio De Janeiro and hear children's wish lists.

With a long white beard he fits the bill.

This year though, thanks to lockdowns and low demand, he found himself out of work

and is working at a newsstand instead.

"It's sad, right? Because I can't be Santa Claus. You get used to the habit every year of being Santa.”

He’s not the only one.

Limachem Cherem runs a school for Santas nearby.

He says local demand for old St. Nick has fallen dramatically.

"If the clothes are hanging here on the rack, it's because Santa Claus is unavoidably at home with nothing to do and can't work."

"This year we have the seven Santa Clauses who are working in the mall and another three, which are ten Santa Clauses. You can see it's fallen more than 60 to 70%."

According to Cherum, everyone young and old will have the same top Christmas wish this year: to see things return to normal.