Culture
15:03, 28-Nov-2017
Ho! Ho! Ho! Swiss village hosts annual world championships of Santa Clauses
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The village of Samnaun is just one of many small ski resorts in Switzerland but for one weekend a year, it turns into a world center for Santa Claus fans.
More than a hundred men and women descend on the village to compete in the Santa Claus world championships.
The idea of the ClauWau Championships is to overcome a number of challenges and be judged the quickest, most creative and most humorous Santa Claus team on show.
Challenges range from the sedate Christmas tree decorating to the physical test of the reindeer rodeo, chimney climbing and sledge racing.
Needless to say, all challenges have to be done in full Father Christmas regalia.
Every year Swiss winter resort Samnaum in the Engadin Valley hosts the Santa Claus World Championships. /Swiss Image
Every year Swiss winter resort Samnaum in the Engadin Valley hosts the Santa Claus World Championships. /Swiss Image
This year, competitors came from Switzerland, Germany, Italy, Denmark and Austria.
The ClauWau Championships started in 2001, when organizers had the idea of building on a centuries old tradition where the children of Samnaun, dressed as St Nicholas (Santa Claus) or Schmutzli (Black Peter, St Nicholas' servant) visited every family in the village on Christmas Eve.
They sang songs and read poems and received money and sweets.
The modern day Santa Clauses have to show a bigger variety of talents, but are compensated with food, drink and prizes.