Being stone cold sober during duty hours is one of the main demands one should meet, to work as a Santa in Sweden, alongside possessing a low voice and special clothing.
Jultomten, as they call him, is a necessary symbol for many Scandinavian families and this winter Sweden has actually found itself short of Santas. This year companies specialising in Santa services are snowed under with orders according to the Itar-Tass news agency. Each family wants Tomten to come before 3pm on Christmas Eve – the time when, according to a long-standing tradition, local TV starts broadcasting a selection of Disney cartoons several generations of Swedes have grown up on – in order to hand out presents, before the family sits down to watch TV together. Also, for the forth year in a row, ‘Stockholm taxi’ is providing a taxi service with ‘Santa drivers’. Experienced and forward looking companies start a Santa ‘draft’ as early as June when the country celebrates its another favourite holiday, Midsummer’s Day.