As much of Europe swelters through the height of summer heatwave season, a uniquely cheerful holiday tradition is unfolding hundreds of kilometers north of the European continent’s warmest regions, in the fourth-largest city of Denmark: Aalborg. For decades, this Nordic country has hosted the annual World Santa Claus Congress, a one-of-a-kind midsummer gathering that has drawn dozens of professional Santa Claus performers, Mrs. Clauses and elf actors from every corner of the globe to celebrate festive spirit far outside the traditional December holiday window.
The iconic event traces its origins back to 1957, when it was first launched at an amusement park on the outskirts of Copenhagen. After decades at its original venue, the congress relocated to Aalborg, located on Denmark’s Jutland peninsula, just two years ago, and has quickly settled into its new home. This year, attendees clad in thick, traditional red Santa suits found the warm Danish July sun made their iconic costumes surprisingly sweltering — a small price to pay for the chance to connect with fellow festive performers. Next year, the beloved gathering will mark its 70th anniversary, a milestone that organizers and attendees are already planning to celebrate in style.
What began as a small initiative to bring extra joy to children has evolved into a must-attend professional and social gathering for Santas who work in department stores, shopping malls, and private events across the world during the busy Christmas season. Held roughly five months before the annual Yuletide rush begins, the four-day event gives professional performers a rare opportunity to exchange industry stories, compare iconic flowing beards, refine their holiday craft, and compete in a series of lighthearted, playful competitions long before families start drafting their naughty-or-nice lists.
This year’s agenda was packed with beloved holiday-themed activities, including gingerbread eating contests, speed gift wrapping challenges, balloon modeling workshops, and multiple boisterous parades through the streets of central Aalborg. Photographs from the event captured participants posing for group photos, waving at onlookers, and snapping selfies with fellow Santas from across the world, showcasing the warm, inclusive energy of the gathering.
Peter Gislund, the event’s organizer and a part-time Aalborg-based Santa during the Christmas season, shared that public reaction to the mid-year holiday gathering is often split. “The grandmas say: ‘Oh, it’s too early to come here’,” he explained. “The kids say: ‘Hooray! Santa’s here already.’”
While the event has drawn attendees from as far afield as Australia, Hong Kong, Canada and the United States over its decades-long history, most of the roughly three dozen Santas and Mrs. Clauses participating this year came from Scandinavian countries. Even so, several international guests made the long trip to attend, including Paradise Yamamoto, a Santa performer traveling all the way from Tokyo. After parading through downtown Aalborg waving a Japanese flag and dancing along to the Christmas classic *Feliz Navidad*, Yamamoto laughed and shared his impression of the event: “This is very fun, so many children … Ho, ho, ho!”
For first-time attendee Robert Hercz, a 64-year-old Santa from Oslo, Norway, the gathering proved that despite different national backgrounds, all professional Santas share a common core. “We all share a gene” for generosity and spreading joy, Hercz explained. “You have it or you don’t. We have the true Santa spirit. And it’s all about giving, sharing, and putting a little bit of joy in people’s hearts.”
Beyond the fun and games, the congress serves an important purpose for working Santas, Gislund noted. “It’s not all ho-ho-ing and belly rubs. When Santas are together, they always mingle and talk a little bit,” he said. Attendees exchange tips for everything from maintaining the perfect beard shine to interacting with shy children, making it a valuable professional development opportunity as well as a social gathering. “That’s the good part of meeting some Santas from all over the world.”
For 33-year-old Danish Santa Simon Brøns, the annual gathering drives home a simple but powerful message: festive spirit is not limited to the month of December. “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.”