CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A North Carolina mall is making some changes this Christmas season. Santa’s tree is being replaced with a giant ice glacier and there will be no more tree-lighting ceremony.
The Charlotte Observer reported that SouthPark Mall in Charlotte is implementing the new changes in an effort to make visiting Santa “fresh and exciting.”
“The reinvented and modernized experience will bring the Charlotte community together in a way that hasn’t been done before,” the mall said.
But not everyone is excited about the new changes. A petition on Change.org to bring the Christmas tree back currently has more than 13,000 supporters.
“Southpark Mall and Simons Malls have decided to abandon a long-standing tradition of having a Christmas tree in the center of the mall and Christmas tree lighting ceremony,” the petition reads. “We, the community of Charlotte, feel this is in poor taste and needs to be corrected.”
The mall is among the first wave of Simon malls to get one of the giant fake glaciers. It’s an addition that the mall said is meant to create a “magical experience” for families.
The incident even inspired a song, which can be viewed below:
