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

AALBORG, Denmark – 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.

kAmu:CDE DE2865 2E 2? 2>FD6>6?E A2C< ?62C r@A6?9286? 😕 `hdf[ E96 4@?8C6DD >@G65 E@ p2=3@C8 @? s6?>2C<’D yFE=2?5 A6?:?DF=2 EH@ J62CD 28@] %9:D J62C[ E96 $2?E2 DF:ED =@@<65 2 =:EE=6 DE:7=:?8 F?56C E96 s2?:D9 DF>>6C DF?]k^Am

kAm%96 6G6?E[ H9:49 >2C6 2 A@AF=2C 82E96C:?8 7@C $2?E2D H9@ 2AA62C 😕 DE@C6D 2?5 D9@AA:?8 >2==D 5FC:?8 E96 *F=6E:56 D62D@?]k^Am

kAm%96 82E96C:?8 @776CD 2 492?46 7@C AC@76DD:@?2= $2?E2D — ?@E E96 C62= @?6[ @7 4@FCD6P — E@ DH2A DE@C:6D[ 4@>A2C6 362C5D[ D92CA6? E96:C 4C27E 2?5 4@>A6E6 😕 =:89E962CE65 4@?E6DED >@?E9D 367@C6 2?J@?6 49642D CFD9]k^Am

kAm%96 A24<65 286?52 762EFC6D 6G6?ED =:<6 8:?86C3C625 62E:?8[ 8:7E HC2AA:?8[ 32==@@? >@56=:?8[ 2?5 D6G6C2= ?@:DJ A2C256D]k^Am

kAm“%96 8C2?5>2D D2Ji ‘~9[ :E’D E@@ 62C=J E@ 4@>6 96C6’[Q D2:5 @C82?:K6C !6E6C v:D=F?5[ 9:>D6=7 2 $2?E2 r=2FD 😕 p2=3@C8 5FC:?8 E96 r9C:DE>2D D62D@?] “%96 <:5D D2Ji Vw@@C2JP $2?E2’D 96C6 2=C625JV]”k^Am

k9amr9C:DE>2D 2D 2 DE2E6 @7 >:?5[ ?@E ;FDE 2 D62D@?k^9am

kAm~G6C E96 J62CD[ E96 2??F2= 7@FC\52J 82E96C:?8 92D 2EEC24E65 $2?E2D 2?5 |CD] r=2FD6D 7C@> 2D 72C 2H2J 2D pFDEC2=:2[ w@?8 z@?8[ r2?252 2?5 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D]k^Am

kAm|@DE @7 E96 E9C66 5@K6? @C D@ $2?E2D 2?5 |CD] r=2FD6D 2E E96 4@?8C6DD E9:D H66< 92:= 7C@> $42?5:?2G:2[ 3FE D@>6 7=6H 😕 — =:<6 !2C25:D6 *2>2>@E@ 7C@> %@

kAm“%9:D 😀 G6CJ 7F?[ D@ >2?J 49:=5C6? … w@[ 9@[ 9@P” D2:5 *2>2>@E@ H:E9 2 =2F89 27E6C A2C25:?8 E9C@F89 p2=3@C8 H2G:?8 2 y2A2?6D6 7=28 2?5 52?4:?8 E@ E96 D@?8 Qu6=:K }2G:525” — @?6 @7 >2?J r9C:DE>2D 4=2DD:4D A=2J65 5FC:?8 E96 6G6?E]k^Am

kAm#@36CE w6C4K[ 2 ec\J62C\@=5 }@CH68:2? $2?E2 7C@> ~D=@[ D2:5 E92E 56DA:E6 E96:C 5:776C6?E ?2E:@?2=:E:6D[ 2== $2?E2D @? 92?5 D92C6 “2 86?6” — 7@C 86?6C@D:EJ 2?5 DAC625:?8 ;@J]k^Am

kAm“*@F 92G6 :E @C J@F 5@?’E[” D2:5 w6C4K[ H9@ H2D 2EE6?5:?8 E96 4@?8C6DD 7@C E96 7:CDE E:>6] “(6 92G6 E96 ECF6 $2?E2 DA:C:E] p?5 :E’D 2== 23@FE 8:G:?8[ D92C:?8[ 2?5 AFEE:?8 2 =:EE=6 3:E @7 ;@J 😕 A6@A=6’D 962CED]”k^Am

kAmxE’D ?@E 2== 9@\9@\:?8 2?5 36==J CF3D]k^Am

kAm“(96? $2?E2D 2C6 E@86E96C[ E96J 2=H2JD >:?8=6 2?5 E2=< 2 =:EE=6 3:E[” D2:5 v:D=F?5] “|2J36 x AFE 2 =:EE=6 3:E @7 DA2C<=6 😕 E96 362C5 2?5 D@ @?] %92E’D E96 8@@5 A2CE @7 >66E:?8 D@>6 $2?E2D 7C@> 2== @G6C E96 H@C=5]”k^Am

kAmu@C $:>@? qCø?D[ 2 bb\J62C\@=5 s2?:D9 $2?E2[ E96 6G6?E 😀 AC@@7 E92E E96 76DE:G6 DA:C:E :D?’E ;FDE 7@C r9C:DE>2D]k^Am

kAm“r9C:DE>2D 😀 ?@E 2 D62D@?] xE’D 2 766=:?8 J@F 92G6 😕 J@FC DE@>249[Q 96 D2:5 H:E9 2 D>:=6] Q$@ :7 J@F H2?E[ J@F 42? 92G6 r9C:DE>2D E96 H9@=6 J62C]”k^Am

Copyright 2026 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.