Copenhagen shots

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ERIC CAMPBELL: Every summer in Copenhagen all its Christmases come at once.

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Santas en masse in parade

This is where Father Christmases come for their summer holidays.

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For the past 50 years, the Bakken Amusement Park on the outskirts of the capital has played host to the World Santa Claus Congress.

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It’s not for Santas who just dress up in department stores two weeks before Christmas. These men have been authorised as official Father Christmases

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Girl gives Australian Santa sign

by their world governing body.

GIRL: I have a sign for you.

DAVE DOWNEY: Am I an “Austral-alien”?

GIRL: It means Australia, it’s just in Danish.

DAVE DOWNEY: Oh!

ERIC CAMPBELL: Dave Downey has flown halfway

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Santas

round the world in the last gruelling step for Santa authorisation.

DAVE DOWNEY: You gotta go in front of the authorising committee,

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Downey

you’ve got to have a resounding ho ho ho which I’m working on, I need to put on a bit more weight.

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Santa wheelbarrow race

You’re not allowed to smoke or drink in front of children and you’ve gotta make people happy. So just about there, yeah.

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Henrik dresses in Santa suit

ERIC CAMPBELL: It might look silly, but the delegates take it very seriously. Henrik Jacobsen is leader of the Danish Santa Guild and the summit’s chief organiser.

HENRIK JACOBSEN: Ho ho ho.

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Of course it’s a show.

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Henrik

There’s also a serious side to it, because it is serious that children believe in Santa Claus.

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Norwegian and Swedish Santas

ERIC CAMPBELL: The Santas come in different costumes, shapes and sizes. But their tasks are the same

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Santa and young woman pose for photo

-- visiting sick children, distributing presents and answering those millions of letters children address to the North Pole.

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ERIC CAMPBELL: What’s the main present that children ask for?

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Swedish Santa

SWEDISH SANTA: Oh it depends, from small girls it’s Barbie,

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Barbie

the dolls Barbie is coming back now. Small

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Volvo

boys they ask for a Volvo s-60.

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Children on rides in amusement park

Music

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ERIC CAMPBELL: Bakken Amusement Park was the natural choice for the annual congress. It’s been entertaining children since the 17th century.

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Music

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Photos. Previous Santa congresses

ERIC CAMPBELL: Since the first congress in 1957 it’s grown into international juggernaut with more than a hundred delegates. Membership swelled after the end of Communism, when Santa’s reindeer could finally cross the Iron Curtain.

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Music

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Estonian Santas

ESTONIAN SANTA 1: We are from Estonia, fifty years we live under Russian occupation and nobody don’t know who is Santa Claus.

ESTONIAN SANTA 2: They didn’t know but they can’t say it.

ERIC CAMPBELL: This is the

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Estonian Santa national costume is it?

ESTONIAN SANTAS: No it’s the summer costume.

ERIC CAMPBELL: Oh it’s the summer costume.

ESTONIAN SANTAS: Very sexy!

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Henrik singing at Santa concert

Music

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ERIC CAMPBELL: Playing Santa may just be a hobby, but for many of the delegates it’s the highlight of their lives.

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Henrik Jacobsen has been ho-ho-ho-ing for 30 of his 50 years.

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HENRIK JACOBSEN: Because I love it. I can’t imagine my life without being Santa. And I like the experience of seeing happy children and their shining eyes.

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Henrik

That’s fantastic. I become like a child again. It means I will never grow old.

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Walkie-Talkies

Music

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Henrik at work in detention centre

ERIC CAMPBELL: Being Santa is certainly a contrast to Henrik’s day job. He’s a guard in an immigrant detention centre.

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ERIC CAMPBELL: Almost every month he deals with violent attacks or attempted suicides.

HENRIK JACOBSEN: One thing makes the other one liveable.

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There’s no doubt that being a guard and I’ve been that for 26 years is a very, very stressful job.

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Henrik in Santa suit

You experience very many sad stories and then when I leave the detention centre… and do this then I forget the other.

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Santas on boat

Music

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ERIC CAMPBELL: Well it’s Day Two of the congress when the Santa Clauses have come to town. And Copenhagen has turned on some genuine Christmas weather.

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While Santas get the attention, each has an unsung team of family members behind him, from hard-working Mrs Clauses to part-time elves.

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Girl in boat

ERIC CAMPBELL: So you and your friends are Santa’s little helpers are you?

GIRL IN BOAT: Yes, ha ha ha.

ERIC CAMPBELL: What do you do with the whole Santa congress?

GIRL IN BOAT: Having fun.

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Elves having dip in canal

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ERIC CAMPBELL: The tour ends with a ceremonial dip in the canal.

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It’s a hard training ground, but the elves of today may well be the Santas of tomorrow.

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Santas on bikes

ERIC CAMPBELL: Then, laden with presents, the juggernaut heads off laden with presents to one of Copenhagen’s children’s hospitals. And Christmas is over for another half a year.

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Credits:

Reporter: Eric Campbell

Camera: David Martin

Editor: Bryan Milliss

Producer: Marianne Leitch

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