Every year he dons the red suit, pulls up his sleeves and declares children of his town -- either naughty or nice -- using arm tattoos to illustrate the child’s sorting.
But this year, Scott Diethorne has been told to pull down his sleeves if he’s going to sit in the big Santa chair and to take a more traditional photo with children eagerly awaiting to tell him their deepest Christmas wish.
Parents told the Philadelphia Inquirer that Oxford Valley Mall officials and Holiday Moments -- the photography studio contracted to do the photos -- told Diethorne that there would be no more photos of children in crazy poses which parents have come to count on for their holiday memories.
When parents were told that there would be no fun photos with Santa, they went to Facebook to tell the mall of their displeasure, begging for the mall's owners to allow Diethorne to do what he does best: make memories for their kids and families.
The mall's owner, Cherry Hill Programs, told The Inquirer in a statement, "During this special time of year, we are focused on delivering a magical holiday experience. We remain dedicated to preserving the tradition and image of Santa with authentic holiday visits for every guest to our programs."
Diethorne isn't only known for his nontraditional photos, but his pet photo with Santa nights where he'll pose with not only dogs or cats, but snakes, ducks and even an alligator.
Deithorne has teamed up with a local photography studio, Crush Photography in Levittown, to offer a session that's being touted as "Santa Scott uncensored" so families can get the photo they want.
About the Author
