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 It's official -- Santa is from Greenland, according to an edict from the world's top Father Christmases at their annual summit in Denmark.
Sweating it out in the summer heat in white beards and red hats and robes, 130 Father and Mother Christmases and Santa's helpers from 12 countries including Japan, Canada, Britain and Spain put an end to debate about which Nordic nation was their real home.
"It's a fact: he comes from Greenland," said Kurt Flemming, chairman of the 40th annual Father Christmas World Congress.
Greenland's delegate quashed rival claims to the title with the argument: "We have lots and lots of reindeer in Greenland. Didn't you know that?" But Finnish Lapland, traditional rival of Greenland for the title, was not represented at the congress.
The Santa summit also ignored historical evidence rooting their traditions in Turkey, where fourth-century Christian Saint Nicholas of Myra helped the poor and needy.
After their debate, the delegates paraded through Copenhagen to the strains of "Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer." They cooled their feet on a beach and enjoyed Danish pastries and beer.
Suitably cheered, the Santas promised bigger presents for children this year -- "if they've been nice. And most have. But politicians get smaller ones," said Flemming, who doubles as a circus clown outside the Christmas season.
（Agencies）
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在丹麥召開的世界頂級圣誕老人年度峰會上發布的通告說：圣誕老人來自格陵蘭島。這消息可是正式的哦！
來自日本、加拿大、英國和西班牙等12個國家的130名男女圣誕老人和他們的助手聚集丹麥。他們戴著白胡子、紅帽子，穿著紅長袍，忍受著酷暑的煎熬，終于結束了有關圣誕老人到底來自哪個北歐國家的辯論。
"事實就是：他來自格陵蘭島，"第四十屆世界圣誕老人年度會議主席庫爾特·弗萊明說。
格陵蘭島的代表戰勝了爭奪這一稱號的競爭對手。他們辯論說："格陵蘭島有數以萬計的馴鹿，難道你們不知道嗎？"但是芬蘭的拉普蘭地區并沒有派代表出席這次會議。拉普蘭一直以來都是格陵蘭島的競爭對手。
本次圣誕老人年度峰會同時也忽略了圣誕傳統源自土耳其的歷史證據。早在公元四世紀，土耳其米拉的基督徒圣·尼古拉曾經在那里幫助過窮人。
討論結束后，代表們在《紅鼻子馴鹿魯道夫》這首歌的伴奏下游行穿過哥本哈根市。之后他們在海灘上休息，盡情享受丹麥的餡餅和啤酒。
值得歡呼的是圣誕老人們保證今年會給孩子們帶來更大的禮物。弗萊明說："如果孩子們表現好的話，他們大多數人都會有（禮物），但是政客們只能得到小一點的禮物。"他在圣誕節以外的時間里還兼任馬戲團的小丑。
sweat it out: 咬緊牙關，堅持到最后
strain: 旋律，曲調
(中國日報網站譯)
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Updated: 2003-07-25 01:00
