Switzerland. Canton Graubünden. Samnaun. The Santa Claus World Championship where competitors through a programme of Christmas-inspired tasks fight to be crowned the world's best Father Christmas. Anyone over 18, in a team of four and dressed as St Nicholas can enter for free. Teams of competitors dressed as jolly old Saint Nicholas duked it out at the Santa Claus World Championships or "ClauWau". A laughing young man seated on a snowbike performing an alpine sport race during the 17th ClauWau. The crowd is cheering the competitor while the snow is falling heavily. The American Santa Claus, as well as the British Father Christmas, derive in part from Saint Nicholas and in part from the Dutch Sinterklaas, the saint's name in that language. However the gift giving associated with these descendant figures is associated with Christmas Day rather than Saint Nicholas Day itself. Samnaun (Romansh: Samignun) is a high Alpine village and a valley at the eastern end of Switzerland and a municipality in the Engiadina Bassa / Val Müstair Region. 25.11.2017 © 2017 Didier Ruef