23.th july:
Christmas in July Conspiracy
Santa Claus Congress celebrates 50 years anniversary
in the middle of the summer. What are they up to?
”Ho-Ho-Ho!” It’s in the
middle of July, and the temperature is 77 degrees Fahrenheit,
yet the laughter of Santa Claus resounds over hundreds of
children and adults. Allthingschristmas.com has visited the
World Santa Claus Congress that takes place each year in the
old amusement park Bakken in Denmark.
Besides Christmas itself, this is their most important event
and the only time they can meet to discuss important issues
such as better rooftop parking conditions and standards of
chimney-cleaning. And of course they have to fix the date
for Christmas Eve.
The parade is being followed by children and adults
The congress is a proud tradition that makes
Santas from the whole world gather, and this year they are
celebrating the 50 years anniversary. Allthingschristmas.com
meets them in their grand parade through the Danish amusement
park.
In front, the largest Santa Claus walks
with a huge crown on his head. Just behind him there is a
large horn orchestra of Santas Clauses followed by a lot of
smaller Santas with their helpers. Small signs show from which
part of the world they are coming from. There are Santas from
Canada, Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Germany and even Japan and
Australia. Especially the last two countries are far from
the coldness of the North Pole, but this doesn’t disturb
the Australian Santa, David Downey.
“Santa Claus belongs to all cultures, so there is no
problem in Santa coming from Australia. I have a secret identity
as Santa in December, and in the summer I participate in the
congresses,” says David Downey while he greets the children
around him.
In december they are to busy to meet
The parade is being followed by children
and adults, and the most eager Santas teases the children
and ask them if they have behaved well this year. One of the
Santas doing this, is the Dane Jan Siegersted who has the
title of “authorized Santa Claus”.
“In Denmark you can become authorized Santa Claus if
you pass a test. In this test you have to answer various questions,
such as where Santa Claus lives. Of course the answer is that
he lives on the North Pole,” says Siegersted.
Some may say that is absurd that Santas
are making a parade between flowers and trees in the middle
of the summer, as most people connect Santa Claus with December,
snow and coldness. What are they up to? Jan Siegersted has
an explanation for that.
“In December we are too busy to meet. In July, however,
we don’t have much to do, so this means that we have
plenty of time to meet and have a good time.”
The World Santa Claus Congress continues
until the 25th of July and also features a swim for the Santas,
several parades, and a ride through the city centre of the
Danish capital Copenhagen.
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