We’ve already had intimations of a Grinch (aka the coronavirus) stealing Christmas in 2020. With health officials imploring New Yorkers to reprise Thanksgiving by celebrating the Yuletide with friends and family remotely via Zoom, even the whitest Christmas is apt to feel a little gloomy.
But COVID may deal a double curse to families who traditionally put out a plate of cookies to help Santa Claus re-energize as he makes his rounds. This year Santa may have to make due with milk alone.
Why? The answer is a cookie shortage brought about by increased consumption nationwide, which is putting a strain on cookie manufacturers, who may not be able to keep up with the demand. A survey by TopData finds that Americans with a bad case of the stay-at-home munchies are gobbling up 25% more cookies than they did before the pandemic hit.
As the graph below shows, almost 40% of the population is eating 48 or more cookies a month. The worst offenders are scarfing down 96 or more of the addictive sweets per month.
