‘Twas a time all it took was dad taking a few bites out of cookies left out for Santa to provide proof that the jolly old elf had been in the family living room on Christmas Eve each year.
Now McDonald’s is offering a decidedly higher-tech option to dupe your children.
It’s called the McDonald’s Reindeer Ready website - currently only available in the UK and Ireland - and it allows parents to essentially capture the moment Kringle and his reindeer make the house call.
The notoriously stealthy Claus manages to evade the camera’s eye but with McDonald’s creation you can upload a picture of your Christmas surroundings and then witness what appears to be one of the seven hard-working reindeer munching on a plate of carrots in the foreground of your own living room. You’re even given the option to choose which side of the frame Rudolph (or one of his colleagues) enters that would make sense for your home’s layout. Videos can then be downloaded to your phone to show the kids on Christmas morning.
The hugely popular website is often overloaded with requests late on Christmas Eve.