A photo of a North Carolina mall Santa is showing the true meaning of Christmas as it goes viral.

The photo, taken during a Caring Santa event sponsored by Autism Speaks, shows Santa on the floor talking to a little boy.

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The boy could not be persuaded to sit on Santa's lap, so instead of skipping the moment, the man in red got down and went over to the boy, according to the group Autism Speaks.

>> Barber goes above & beyond for boy with autism

Caring Santa events are going on across the country. Click here to see if there is one happening at a mall near you.

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