Worldwide Santa Clauses meet in Denmark

[July 21, 2008]  COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) -- It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas in a Danish amusement park where Santa Clauses from around the world are gathering for their annual three-day congress.

Now in it's 51st year, the World Santa Claus Congress starting Monday brings together 136 red-clad delegates, mostly from Scandinavia but also as far away as Russia, Japan and the United States.

The activities on the program include a bicycle parade, Hula Hoop dancing and a dip in the Copenhagen harbor.

Delegates go by different names, such as St. Nick, Papa Noel or Sinterklaas, but the Bakken amusement park north of Copenhagen claims they are all real Santas.

The event was created to entertain children but has become a gathering of Santas who appear in stores and shopping malls at Christmas.

[Associated Press]

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