At Denmark’s World Santa Congress, festive spirit isn’t just for Christmas

At Denmark’s World Santa Congress, festive spirit isn’t just for Christmas 1 of 5 | Santas, Mrs. Clauses and Christmas elves from around the world pose for a photo at the annual World Santa Claus Congress, a colorful midsummer tradition, in Aalborg, Denmark, Wednesday July 8, 2026. (AP Photo/James Brooks) 2 of 5 | Robert Hercz, a 64-year-old Santa Claus performer from Oslo, Norway, right, pose with an unidentified Santa Claus performer for a photo at the annual World Santa Claus Congress, a colorful midsummer tradition, in Aalborg, Denmark, Wednesday July 8, 2026. (AP Photo/James Brooks) 3 of 5 | Santas, Mrs. Clauses and Christmas elves from around the world take part in a parade through the streets of Aalborg Denmark, Wednesday July 8, 2026 during the annual World Santa Claus Congress. (AP Photo/James Brooks) 4 of 5 | Paradise Yamamoto, a Santa Claus performer from Tokyo, left, and Peter Gislund, a 57-year-old Santa Claus performer from Aalborg, take a selfie during the annual World Santa Claus Congress, a colorful midsummer tradition, in Aalborg, Denmark, Wednesday July 8, 2026. (AP Photo/James Brooks) 5 of 5 | A Santa Claus and Christmas elve performer wave into the camera during the annual World Santa Claus Congress, a colorful midsummer tradition, in Aalborg, Denmark, Wednesday July 8, 2026. (AP Photo/James Brooks) By James Brooks Updated 1:36 PM MESZ, July 9, 2026 Add AP News on Google Add AP News as your preferred source to see more of our stories on Google. Share Share Facebook Copy Link copied Print Email X LinkedIn Bluesky Flipboard Pinterest Reddit Aalborg, Denmark (AP) — While Europe’s still in the throes of summer heat, it’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in the Danish city of Aalborg. Dozens of Santas, Mrs. Clauses and elves from around the world have descended on Denmark’s fourth-largest city for the Nordic nation’s annual World Santa Claus Congress, a colorful midsummer tradition for decades. First staged at an amusement park near Copenhagen in 1957, the congress moved to Aalborg on Denmark’s Jutland peninsula two years ago. This year, the Santa suits looked a little stifling under the Danish summer sun. The event, which marks its 70th anniversary next year, was created to entertain children, but became a popular gathering for Santas who appear in stores and shopping malls during the Yuletide season. The gathering offers a chance for professional Santas — not the real one, of course! — to swap stories, compare beards, sharpen their craft and compete in lighthearted contests months before anyone checks naughty-or-nice lists for the Christmas rush. The packed agenda features events like gingerbread eating, gift wrapping, balloon modeling, and several noisy parades. “The grandmas say: ‘Oh, it’s too early to come here’,” said organizer Peter Gislund, himself a Santa Claus in Aalborg during the Christmas season. “The kids say: ‘Hooray! Santa’s here already’.” Over the years, the annual four-day gathering has attracted Santas and Mrs. Clauses from as far away as Australia, Hong Kong, Canada and the United States. Most of the three dozen or so Santas and Mrs. Clauses at the congress this week hail from Scandinavia, but some flew in — like Paradise Yamamoto from Tokyo. Archaeologists find huge Viking textile production site in Denmark 1 MIN READ UN adopts resolution to ensure perpetrators of crimes against peacekeepers face justice 2 MIN READ IOC says it will not give Olympic team status to Greenland and Faroe Islands 2 MIN READ “This is very fun, so many children … Ho, ho, ho!” said Yamamoto with a laugh after parading through Aalborg waving a Japanese flag and dancing to the song “Feliz Navidad” — one of many Christmas classics played during the event. Robert Hercz, a 64-year-old Norwegian Santa from Oslo, said that despite their different nationalities, all Santas on hand share “a gene” — for generosity and spreading joy. “You have it or you don’t,” said Hercz, who was attending the congress for the first time. “We have the true Santa spirit. And it’s all about giving, sharing, and putting a little bit of joy in people’s hearts.” “When Santas are together, they always mingle and talk a little bit,” said Gislund. “Maybe I put a little bit of sparkle in the beard and so on. That’s the good part of meeting some Santas from all over the world.” For Simon Brøns, a 33-year-old Danish Santa, the event is proof that the festive spirit isn’t just for Christmas. “Christmas is not a season. It’s a feeling you have in your stomach,” he said with a smile. “So if you want, you can have Christmas the whole year.”