For the first time in nearly 40 years, Santa Luke won’t be sitting near the ornate Christmas tree in Mondawmin Mall greeting eager kids and their families.

An unforeseen accident sidelined Santa Luke while he was working at the North Pole trying to fulfill Christmas wishes, according to Romaine Smallwood-Faison, a general manager at Mondawmin Mall.

But don’t rip up those Christmas lists just yet, she said. He’s sending one of his best workers, Santa Ben, to take over his duties, and he looks forward to coming back next year.

Santa Luke may be at home recovering this year, but he’s ingrained in holiday memories for generations of Baltimoreans.

Jessica Blackwell-Parks, a lifelong visitor of Mondawmin Mall during the holidays, doesn’t have an annual Christmas picture without Santa Luke. The 34-year-old remembers giving him her Christmas list in first and second grade and she didn’t even blame him when one year, as a preteen, she got coal that turned out to be candy.

“Santa Luke is a pillar to the West Baltimore community,” she said.

Blackwell-Parks said she loves how Baltimore “pulls out all the stops” for the holidays and Santa Luke is part of that. Though she doesn’t have kids, her godchildren have also experienced the magic of Santa Luke.

Nothing beats seeing the big green and plush chair, the red carpet rolled out and decorations on the spiral staircase in the mall, she said.

“He’s the thing to me that makes Christmas magical in Baltimore city,” Blackwell-Parks said.

Santa Luke is well aware of the impression he’s left on generations. He told NPR in 2023 that there’s a science to being the memorable guy in the red suit: “You have to know how to treat people the way you want to be treated. And you have to make people feel better after leaving you.”

Smallwood-Faison doesn’t refute that “Santa Luke is Mondawmin,” but even in his absence, she said she’s excited for this year’s festivities to bring back “the nostalgia of what Christmas means and what it’s meant to be.”

The mall is teaming up with Councilman James Torrence and local schools and organizations to host several events. A tree lighting ceremony on Nov. 30 will kick off the holiday season with ornament making and other activities. There are also several opportunities for pets to get their pictures taken with Santa. Later in December, there will be a pajama night and a screening of the holiday classic “Home Alone.”

As one of the last malls in the city, Torrence said it’s important to show that it’s family-oriented and “a community hub again.”