Crisis At The North Pole

Well, ok, it's actually in Berlin, but they are facing a terrible shortage. Not enough Santas to go around. They only have about 1/3 as many as they need to meet demand.

The director of Berlin's "Heinzelmaennchen" agency that acts as an intermediary for 5,000 families that order the 20-minute visits from a real live Santa Claus each year on December 24 said he was having trouble getting enough qualified help this year.

"We need at least 300 Santas to meet the demand but we only have about 100 signed up so far," said Rene Heydeck, 40, who also runs the agency's "Father Christmas desk". His official title is "Ober-Weinachtsmann" (chief Santa Claus).

"We prefer chubby men, of course, ideally with a real beard but we're not picky and take what we get," he told Reuters.

The Santas, many of whom are students, earn 28 euros (19 pounds) for each performance — bringing in a sack of presents provided outside the door by parents and handing out the gifts. They start at about 3 p.m. and are finished by about 9 p.m.

The 300 Santas visit an average of 10 to 12 families, although some have managed up to 20, Heydeck said. In return, the Santas must buy their costumes for 45 euros and have to pay the agency 15 percent of their earnings.

You realize what this means, don't you? Global warming! That's right. The polar bears have found a new source of food. They must have run out of BBC cameramen.

Other Links to this Post

1. Blue Crab Boulevard » Feast Or Famine — Sunday, 3 December , 2006 @ 4:11 pm