Simon Malls received a quite chilly response when they unveiled new sets for Santa Claus visits.
Instead of being surrounded by Christmas trees and other holiday decorations, Santa would sit in a big white structure designed to look like a glacier.
The treeless arctic experience didn’t last long.
CBS affiliate WBTV reported that North Carolina’s SouthPark mall is taking down the “glacier” after public outrage over the change.
The set also featured an “ice chandelier” and a sound-and-light show. But it was not enough.
About 25,000 people signed a Change.org petition to bring back the Christmas tree.
Shoppers at another Simon mall, Roosevelt Field Mall in New York, were angry as well. CBS affiliate WLNY reported Simon described the glacier structure as a “cutting edge artistic design … designed to illuminate every imagination.”
Customers’ imaginations were not illuminated.
That mall reversed course, as well.
Roosevelt Field is adding a Christmas tree to the scene to “create a magical North Pole,” according to WLNY.
SouthPark said the glacier set was meant to be “fresh and exciting.” Well, it did provide plenty of excitement on social media, but it wasn’t positive:
https://twitter.com/thebrandon907/status/662833937258016768
The glacier is ridiculous. Patrons value the tradition, not the untraditional. #BringBackTheTree https://t.co/36j4dyXv8E
— Meghan Miles (@meghanmusgrave) November 7, 2015
https://twitter.com/Lokay/status/662683800024035329
"Come visit Santa in his tanning bed!"
– SouthPark Mall #glaciergate— Pretty Annoyed (@prettyannoyed) November 6, 2015
Ooof South Park Mall. A glacier?
— Logan Stewart Kureczka (@lbstewart) November 6, 2015
https://twitter.com/MB_Perry/status/662775378692456448
@MollyGrantham RT – "Have A Holly Jolly Glacier" @SouthParkMallNC @simonmalls PLEASE #BringBackTheTree ! https://t.co/tSIGsnOygf
— David Britt (@davidbritt) November 7, 2015
https://twitter.com/Horne_Man_69/status/663038109555257348
After #glaciergate & #BringBackTheTree SouthPark says they're going to warm up glacier set» https://t.co/6tErUMPtLo pic.twitter.com/rGTla83ZJ4
— WBTV News (@WBTV_News) November 7, 2015
.@SouthParkMallNC #Glacier #Christmas set coming down after protests support tradition https://t.co/K1tJQf4caX pic.twitter.com/TqA8lPi4aI
— Sharon Smith (@ssmithCLT) November 8, 2015