| DRAMMEN, Norway (AP) -- They climbed over fences, scampered
across rooftops, slid down chimneys and then, with belly-shaking
chuckle, named a world champion. The winner?
Santa Claus, of course.
Who else could win the Santa Claus World Cup on Saturday in the
southern Norwegian city of Drammen? There was also a musical
competition, which ended in a three-way tie -- between Santa, Santa
and Santa.
About 30 jolly St. Nicks in red suits, white beards and floppy
red hats frolicked in the cold, clear afternoon. About 200 children
watched, seeming unperturbed by the thought that there might not be
just one Santa.
``There are many, but not too many,'' said Stephanie Lathsach,
one of three 8-year-olds in elf costumes who judged the
competition.
Luckily for the plump contestants, speed over a specially built
obstacle course in the town square was not a consideration.
``I look at the way they move,'' said Martha Bjornoy-Jarlen,
another 8-year-old judge.
During breaks, the Santas made their laps available, while a
choir sang Christmas carols.
With so many Santas around, 4-year-old Kristine Hoines was
taking no chances.
``Skis. I want skis,'' she told one Santa, making sure he noted
it in his book. Then, her face smeared by Christmas cookies, she
moved to another Santa.
``Skis. I want skis,'' she repeated.
Santa Claus events are a tradition in Drammen, 25 miles south
of Oslo. Last year, the town put together a choir of 1,000 Santas to
promote itself.
Wivi Martinsen, one of the organizers, told the crowd what was
needed in a champion Santa.
``They have to be big and round. They must be able to make
people happy, and above all, they must be very, very, very fond of
children,'' she said.
Organizers promised Santas from 10 countries, but only one
foreigner, an American, showed up. And he's lived in Drammen for
six years.
``I was drafted,'' said the Santa in the U.S. flag suit. He's
also know as William Vazquez, 35 and originally from San Francisco.
It was his first time out as Santa, and he was winded after
waddling through the course.
``It's tough with all this padding,'' he said.
Before the competition, about 40 Santas met for the annual
National Congress of the Santa Claus Trade Union.
The Santas adopted a light-hearted resolution, out of concern
for Rudolph and his kin.
``We are going to boycott any country that eats reindeer,''
said Martinsen.
But wouldn't that mean boycotting Norway, where people love
reindeer meat?
``You're right,'' she admitted. ``That's a problem.''
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| When Christianity came to Norway, little was done to change the yearly
rituals and feasts. That is why the old pagan tradition was kept side
by side of the Christian one. The only change was that the traditional
feast days got another containment.
King Haakon the good demanded that each farmer had to brew his own beer
for Christmas. The difference now was that the toast went to virgin
Maria and white-christ, as opposed to earlier when it went to Odin and
Froey. Beer, the most important sacrifice, was to be made of the best
grain. Because this grain was the god's gift to mankind. Beer brewing
became a Christian duty and those who didn't brew beer for 3 years in a
row had to forfit their wealth.
The pagan ate much food during their Christmas weekend, specially pork.
The animal was supposed to be fresh slaughtered, and it was often so
over-fed that it was almost unable to stand on its feet. The animal was
supposed to be slaughtered during a rising moon. Sheep and lambs were
also used as Christmas food, and many people followed the tradition of
eating sheep-heads (Smalahovud) the Sunday before Christmas. Back then
this was a dish for the poor. Today it is a rather fashionable dish.
During the middle ages the Christmas celebration started at 13'th of
December. Today the Italian custom with light-feast in remembrance of
Lucia has also become a tradition in Norway. At the 13 century we had
our own "Lussi"-night, the 13'th Lussi was in old tradition a female
demon that made sure that everything was in order. Back then the
"Lussi"-night was considered the longest night of the year.
Another pagan tradition that we have still kept up with today is the
Christmas sheaf. When the sheaf was put out it was a sign that we were
heading towards better times. The people though that the wheat had a
spirit in it. During the harvest the spirit moved over to the last
corner of the field. That piece of wheat was taken care of until the
following year. By doing this, the farmer secured himself the power of
the spirit until the next crop.
Later they got the idea that the wheat was put out for the birds to
eat. This was done so that the birds would be grateful and not destroy
their summer wheat the following year. It was a good sign if there was
many birds eating from the sheaf. If they did not eat it, then there
was trouble coming up, so it was best to make sure that the corn was of
the best.
According to the Gregorian calendar we are celebrating that the sun is
turning on the 22'th of December. The tradition says that "On that day
nobody must do any work whereby something is turned around" One
shouldn't, for example, bake on that day. Because the cakes would not
stick to the plates in the oven. The Christmas brew had to be finished
so that the "turn of the sun" didn't come into it, and nobody was
allowed to sit with their feet by the fireplace, as the brew would turn
"dull" if they did. Some places in Norway, people throw a bit of beer
into the fire, probably in remembrance of this tradition.
Christmas night was the night when the evil spirits were out. That is
also why people had to protect themselves. They threw steel into their
well and painted tar-crosses over all doors so that inhabitants of the
subterranean world could do no damage.
A girl could at that night see who she was going to marry. She would
have to spin a ball of yarn three Friday evenings before Christmas to
do that. Then she had to climb up on the roof and drop the ball through
the "ljore"-hole (a hole in the livingroom ceiling). While she
unspinned the ball of yarn her future husband would come and grab the
loose end.
Nobody was supposed to be alone in the dark time around Christmas, a
tradition that we have still kept. New year's eve was the separation
between the old and new. It was important to help the good forces fight
the forces of evil. Here Tor with the hammer was a powerful ally.
People were supposed to be careful about looking out the window at new
year's eve, because then, the subterranean was outside. If one looked
through the window from the outside, then they were supposed to see the
people who where going to die the coming year, being without their
head.
The pig is especially a luck bringing animal during the Christmas and
new year's eve, maybe this is in remembrance of the pigs at the throne
in �ss (a place in Valhall). At some places they even used to let the
pig into the livingroom, just for luck. Today the pig is on every
Christmas table with an apple in its mouth.
From: [email protected] (The Last Viking) On modem, from Mo i Rana
http://www.cs.uit.no/~paalde/
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