Hidden in the remote Swiss village of Samnaun lies one of the world’s greatest yearly Christmas spectacles — The Santa Claus World Championships.
Each November, 32 teams of four converge on Samnaun to compete in contests to see who among them is the ultimate jolly old man. Competitions include gift giving, sleigh riding and even some snowmobiling and karaoke. If it sounds a little kooky that’s because it is. Teams are encouraged to come up with silly nicknames like the Appenzeller Powerchlaus team and Three Santas and a Confused Troll.
The event is also the de facto opening celebration of the nearby Ischgl ski resort across the border in Austria, so you can expect other fun showcases too. Concerts and food swarm the region while these thirsty Santas compete.
The winner of the competition goes home with a cool 2,000 Swiss francs and the pride of knowing they embody the Christmas spirit better than most. Spectators just get to tell a pretty fun story.
Admittedly, this is probably an even that caters more toward families than single adults, but if you’ve got a real love of the holidays we’re sure you’ll have a heck of a time cheering on the Young and Hungry Norwegian Santas.
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