In the beginning of December billions of people are immersing themselves into the Christmas spirit. The most distinguished cultural symbol of the upcoming holiday is Santa’s red coat with white collars and cuffs.
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© AP Photo / Eugene Hoshiko
A traditional pre-Christmas Santa run was held this past weekend in Tokyo, Japan. Some 500 Tokyo residents dressed as Santa Claus participated in a 2.5 kilometers charity run at a local park.
Vitor Martins from the city of Sao Paolo, Brazil has more than 90 percent of his body covered in tattoos, with some of them in reference to Christmas. However, that does not prevent him from working as Santa Claus.
One of Berlin’s entertainment agencies has hosted an event with a Santa Claus "flying" 98 meters above a hotel in the German capital.
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© AP Photo / Luca Bruno
Metropolitan Cathedral of the Nativity of Saint Mary in Milan is the fourth-largest in Europe, after St Peter’s Basilica in Vatican, St Paul’s Cathedral in London and Seville Cathedral. It is the largest Gothic cathedral and the third-largest church in the world.
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Last weekend, model and television personality Holly Madison dressed as Santa Claus appeared at a street performance in Las Vegas.
A traditional Christmas parade for four-legged Santas was held in Loughborough, England.
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© AP Photo / Andre Penner
In Sao Paolo, a man wearing a Santa Claus costume rode the subway to celebrate the Christmas season.
Skiers and snowboarders dressed as Santa Claus participated in a charity race down a slope at the River Ski Resort in Newry, Maine.
According to organizers, 250 skiing Santas raised some $3,000 for charity at the event.
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In South Korea, divers dressed in Santa Claus costumes have a tradition of swimming in an aquarium before Christmas.
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© AP Photo / Koji Sasahara
Santa Claus, also known as Saint Nicholas, Father Christmas, is a cultural figure with legendary, folkloric and historic origins. In many Western cultures, Santa Claus is believed to bring presents to the homes of good children the night before Christmas.
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Some 800 participants dressed as Santa Claus took part in the fourth annual Santa Claus running competition in Michendorf, Germany.
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© AP Photo / Eugene Hoshiko
Santa Claus is generally depicted as a portly, joyous, white-bearded man wearing a red coat with white collars and cuffs, white-cuffed red trousers and a black leather belt and boots. He carries a bag full of gifts for children.
Local artist Ed Terrel from the city of Reading, Pennsylvania, created a giant Santa Claus costume. Days before Christmas, the artist put on the costume while walking through the city streets in the evening.
