The beloved Macy’s holiday tradition comes to an end after 80 years

When you grow up Jewish, Santa Claus seems a bit absurd.

I mean, religion requires faith, but believing that a magical old man brought toys to all the Christian children in the world, riding a flying sleigh, seemed like something most kids would be skeptical about.

In reality, however, many children believe until a certain age, and others go along with the ritual because it involves bringing presents on Christmas morning.

Part of the Santa Claus ritual has always been to take pictures with Jolly Old Saint Nick, sitting on his lap, and tell him what you want for Christmas.

Some kids do it in privately booked photo shoots, while many others go to the mall.

I think most kids know that Mall Santa is more of an emissary of the big man than the actual man himself. Anyway, parents take their kids to meet him, the kids either cry hysterically, or take their photos and note the gift options before moving on.

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For about 80 years, for people living in San Francisco, that tradition meant taking their children to Macy’s Union Square. It was a time honored tradition that lasted for generations, but this year, it will not be happening.

Santa Claus, at least for the San Franciscans who enjoy visiting him at Macy’s Union Square, will not be coming to town, it seems.

Macy’s has quietly ended its tradition of having a Santa Claus head from the Thanksgiving Day Parade to its store in Union Square, San Francisco.

The chain explained that decision in a way that suggests it did not have the option of hiring multiple Santas to visit different stores.

“This year, Macy’s Santa will not be available at our Union Square location. Instead, he will be going on a national tour to visit stores and communities he hasn’t had the chance to appear in before, following his national arrival in the (New York) Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade,” Macy’s officials said in a statement reported by the San Francisco Chronicle.

Macy’s added that the magic of the holiday season will continue in Union Square with its SF SPCA Holiday Windows and Macy’s Great Tree presented by Ripple.

“It looks weird without Santa Claus,” Yvonne Fletcher and her husband, Adrian, told Yahoo News. “I can’t bring my grandchildren, and that’s what we’ve been waiting for.”

• About 80 years of tradition: Santa has appeared every year at Macy’s Union Square store, dating back to the store’s opening in late forties and will continue almost every year until 2025 (excluding the year of the pandemic), according to the San Francisco Chronicle.

• Local cultural touchstone: Families lined up for visits and photos with Santa every holiday season, making it a cherished Bay Area tradition, the San Francisco Chronicle added.

• The same Santa for decades: From roughly 1990 to 2010, the role was played by the beloved “Santa John,” whose appearance became iconic in local family portraits, Hoodline reported.

• No Santa in 2025: For the first time in nearly 80 years, Macy’s confirmed Santa it will not be in Union Square this holiday season as it embarks on a national tour following the Thanksgiving parade, ABC7 San Francisco shared.

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Margarita Hernandez, who had visited Union Square Santa as a child, was unaware of the change and brought her daughter.

“I think we’re going to find another Santa,” she told reporters, adding, “It’s sad. We’ve been bringing her here since she was a baby.”

Macy’s actually fired the famous Santa John Toomey.

“That 2010 incident remains one of Union Square’s most memorable holiday dramas. Toomey was fired after an adult couple complained about a light-hearted joke he’d told for decades: When adults asked why Santa was so jolly, he quipped that it’s because he knows where all the naughty boys and girls live,” Hoodline reported.

He was not rehired by Macy’s but was hired by a local restaurant, appearing for a year before he died.

For many families, this is an important tradition.

Leigh Eric Schmidt, author of “Consumer Rites: The Buying and Selling of American Holidays,” explained the evolution of Santa Claus in stores and malls to Catholic Online.

He said it reflects a deeper cultural truth.

“The tradition of visiting Santa in the store is more than just a business venture – it’s about creating lasting memories and experiencing the joy of the season,” he shared.

• Origin in 1924: The first Macy’s parade was held November 27, 1924originally called the Macy’s Christmas Paradeand featured floats, live animals, performers, and Santa Claus, according to NBC.

• The central role of Santa: Santa historically appeared in end of the paradewhich marks the symbolic beginning of the Christmas season every year since the first event, Encyclopedia Britannica reported.

• Annual holiday kickoff: Although a new name the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade (until 1927), Santa’s presence remained a major ceremonial moment, leading to holiday shopping and festivities, added the Encyclopedia Britannica.

• Almost continuous history: The parade passed every year since 1924 except during the Second World War (1942-1944)which has become ingrained in American holiday tradition, according to NBC.

Cultural historians note that the appearance of Santa is not only commercial; it is ritualistic.

“It culminates with Santa Claus at the very end of the parade unveiling the holiday windows on 34th Street,” Valerie Paley, chief historian of the New-York Historical Society, told CBS News, describing how the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade has long served as a symbolic start to the holiday season.

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This story was originally published by TheStreet on December 20, 2025, where it first appeared in the Retail section. Add TheStreet as a Preferred Source by clicking here.