The mythical Santa Claus, sporting his adorable snow-white beard and bright red suit, is a delightful fairy tale that has greatly outgrown its European roots. The modern Santa is no more imprisoned in his traditional cuteness, as traffic controllers and firefighters, dressed as Santas at work, spread Christmas cheer as exuberantly.
Here are some funny avatars of Santa, caught on camera, in unusual costumes or locations from around the world.
An elephant dressed as Santa Claus distributes a stuffed toy to students during Christmas celebrations at Jirasart school in Ayutthaya, 70 km (44 miles) north of Bangkok, December 23, 2011. REUTERS/Sukree SukplangA Palestinian boy dressed as Santa Claus attends a celebration ahead of Christmas at Deir al-Laten Church in Gaza City December 18, 2011. REUTERS/Ismail ZaydahActor David Warren, who has been playing Santa for the past ten years, holds seven-month-old Olivia Ruch at Santa's Grotto in Selfridges department store in London December 7, 2011. REUTERS/Suzanne PlunkettTwo men dressed as Santa Claus use a toilet in Citta' Sant' Angelo near Pescara December 10, 2011. A group of people dressed up as Santa Claus to attend the "European Meeting of Santa Claus" where they sang Christmas carols and interacted with passers-by to spread the joy of Christmas, according to organizers. REUTERS/Alessandro BianchiTraffic controller Ramiro Hinojas, wearing a Santa Claus costume, dances as he directs motorists along an intersection in Pasay City, Metro Manila December 14, 2011. Hinojas entertains motorists along Manila's heavily congested main thoroughfare by dressing up as Santa Claus and performing dance moves of pop star Michael Jackson, to mark the upcoming Christmas season. REUTERS/Cheryl RaveloPeople dressed in Santa Claus suits gather in front of the White House as part of Santarchy in Washington December 17, 2011. Santarchy is an annual event celebrating Christmas.REUTERS/Joshua RobertsHector Chacon, a Guatemalan firefighter dressed as Santa Claus, rappels down the Belize bridge in Guatemala City December 18, 2011, to give toys to children living in the neighbourhoods under the bridge. Guatemalan firefighters have been giving toys in the Christmas period to children living in the very poor area of the city for 13 years, according to Chacon. REUTERS/Jorge Dan LopezA Hindu man writes "Happy Christmas" in Hindi on his forehead on the banks of the Ganges river in the northern Indian city of Allahabad December 19, 2011. REUTERS/Jitendra PrakashA diver dressed as Santa decorates a fish tank at the Sea Life in Berlin December 22, 2011. REUTERS/Tobias Schwarz
