SANTA CLAUS

Traditional surfing session held every Christmas Eve

Thirteen years after starting the biggest Christmas party on Cocoa Beach, George Trosset expects Saturday to be coldest Surfing Santas yet.

A bunch of Santa lookalikes have taken to the ski slopes once again to spread some holiday cheer.

Santa and Mrs. Claus left Rudolph at home to catch a ride recently on an Alaska Air National Guard cargo plane to visit the Inupiac village of Nuiqsut, about 30 miles south of the Arctic Ocean.

This weekend there are several events in the Orlando area celebrating Krampusnacht, which typically takes place on Dec. 5, the day before the Feast Day of St. Nicholas, in parts of Germany, Austria and other Central European counties.

On Saturday, the holidays will light up along Lake Dora to kick off a month of holiday events in the city of Mount Dora.

The Greyson Project is giving Santa Claus a run for his money by helping to deliver bags of holiday decorations to children’s hospitals across the country.

Overall World Cup champion Mikaela Shiffrin of the United States claimed a slalom event for a sweep of the two season-opening races.

Spain will end a mandate to wear masks outdoors next week, reversing a late December order against an unprecedented surge of coronavirus infections fueled by a highly contagious mutation.

Marines on snowmobiles helped Santa this month while delivering toys to boys and girls in Alaska’s Arctic.

Crowds of people gathered at Cocoa Beach on Christmas Eve to watch as surfers donning their best Santa attire made waves on the Space Coast.

Rest assured, kids of all ages: Santa’s coming this Christmas Eve, and a second holiday with COVID-19 won’t stop him.

Surfing Santas will once again return to Cocoa Beach after going virtual last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

South Africa's government says the country will donate just over 2 million doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine to other African countries to boost the continent’s vaccine drive.

It all began with an elf named Fisbee.

The Elf on the Shelf now has competition with law enforcement wanting to help Santa Claus keep kids on the good list this Christmas season.

A Roman Catholic diocese in Sicily has apologized to outraged parents after its bishop told a group of children that Santa Claus doesn’t exist.

We’re used to seeing Santa at the mall, or better yet, on his sleigh delivering toys to children around the world, but you don’t see Santa (let alone hundreds of him) skiing or snowboarding down a mountain.

Britain’s government has tightened travel restrictions amid concerns about the spread of the omicron coronavirus variant.

With the calendar flipping to December, holiday events are in full swing.

Santa is back this year, but he's asking people to be cautious as he continues to tiptoe through the pandemic.

Why are people so mean?

Orlando will be hosting free, family-friendly activities, events and spectacles throughout November and December.

It’s only November, but Santa Claus already has his calendar set for photo experiences with local children.

The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will return to its pre-pandemic form this year, with its route restored through Manhattan, high-flying helium balloons once again pulled by handlers and crowds welcomed back to cheer them on.

Visitors to a mall with a monster themed festival wears masks to protect from the coronavirus in Beijing Saturday, Dec. 26, 2020. Beijing is conducting testing on a limited scale in the neighborhoods and workplaces where the cases were found. Japan had 3,823 new cases Friday for a national total of 213,547, with 3,155 deaths, the health ministry said. — South Korea has reported another 1,132 coronavirus cases as the resurgence worsened over the Christmas week, putting pressure on the government to enforce stricter social distancing controls. On Saturday morning, 110 new coronavirus cases were reported, bringing Thailand’s total to 6,020.

The National Weather Service earlier this week warned that South Florida could experience the coldest Christmas Day in 21 years. Morning lows on Saturday could drop into the low 30s and 40s degrees Fahrenheit, the weather service said. Much colder temps expected for Christmas,” the National Weather Service in Miami tweeted earlier this week. A squall line with severe storms and fast-moving winds also was headed for north Florida on Christmas Eve. The pandemic also was impacting a Space Coast tradition — Surfing Santa Day, which takes place the day before Christmas.

In this photo provided by the California Highway Patrol, a man dressed as Santa Claus who was flying on a powered parachute on his way to deliver candy canes to children is seen stuck on power lines in Rio Linda, Calif., on Sunday, Dec. 20, 2020. The incident happened shortly after the man took off near a school in Rio Linda and then hit and became suspended in power lines, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman told KCRA-TV. (California Highway Patrol via AP)RIO LINDA, Calif. – Santa found himself a little more tied up than usual this time of year. A Northern California man impersonating Santa Claus and flying on a powered parachute was rescued Sunday after he became entangled in power lines, authorities said. He flew into a maze of power lines and wound up suspended in them, a Federal Aviation Administration spokesman told KCRA-TV.

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. – Located in a neighborhood of Fern Park in Seminole County is a special mailbox but not just any mailbox, it’s for the jolly man in red: Santa Claus. “We really wanted to provide hope for the kids in our community and central Florida as a whole,” Yolonda Tyler, creator of the mailbox said. As they go through the letters that have already been dropped into the mailbox, Yolonda says some are heartfelt. So that struck Amaya and I, you know, in our hearts.”And after Santa has received the letters, the elves get to work--with words of encouragement. You can follow the Little Free Library/ Santa mailbox on FB and Instagram @littlefreelibrary105142.

Florida may be socially distancing from the North Pole, but that hasn’t stopped it from bringing the Christmas cheer. Now, the family favorite that’s relocated to Kissimmee, boasts five Light-O-Ramas and around 40,000 Christmas lights. For more details, go to the Wekiva website to view their full December schedule. West Volusia Drive-In939 Hollywood Boulevard, Deltona, FL 32725Love Christmas movies? Gaylord Palms' holiday event will let you step into 5 holiday classicsGaylord Palms “I Love Christmas Movies” DisplaySpeaking of holiday movies, this year, you get to live them.

Man, I’m convinced dogs really are made of magic. And while we’re on the topic of magic, we’re going to take a few minutes today to explore where magic is, and where it isn’t. 😉OK, now...Here’s what’s trending on ClickOrlando.com:🧬 COVID-19 vaccine: Not magic, just scienceIt might seem like it took magic to get a vaccine developed and rolled out within months but health officials say that wasn’t the case. Is the coronavirus going to disappear once the vaccine arrives in Florida (hint: this one would actually require some magic)? 🎅 Zoom into the holiday spiritI promised you magic so magic you’ll get.

It's Mrs. Claus from the North Pole! (WKMG)Here’s one from Santa and Mrs. Claus that made me chuckle:Santa: “How much did Santa pay for his sleigh?”Mrs. Claus: “Well, I don’t know. AND MRS. CLAUS 24/7 ANSWERED! Proof that MRS. CLAUS 24/7 pumps her own gas, ;) ... even in a Holiday. In the meantime, you can keep up with their adventures or book your visit on Mrs. Claus’ Facebook page.

A spat has erupted over competing claims that the prime minister and his main rival broke the spirit of pandemic restrictions that have renewed financial hardship for many voters. Conservative Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis was photographed last weekend posing with his mountain bike, without a mask, alongside five motocross riders on a hillside trail outside Athens. Greece's lockdown rules exempt people who've gone outdoors for exercise, including cycling, from the obligation to wear a mask. Greece’s pandemic death toll reached close to 3,100 on Monday, with most deaths occurring after Nov. 1. The current lockdown was launched on Nov. 7 and initially planned to last for three weeks.

This is Santa Claus in the Coronavirus Age, where visits are conducted with layers of protection or online. Santas conducting in-person visits are using some combination of masks, the outdoors, barriers and distance for safety. The virus has many Santas and parents turning to virtual visits, which are booked through each Santa's personal website or agencies like Allen's. “You get a different energy,” Saunders said of the virtual visits. That's gone, so he's doing virtual visits and five days with a historic railroad in Pennsylvania.

(AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)SEATTLE — Health officials in Washington state said the number of people who were hospitalized to receive treatment for the coronavirus has reached a record high. The director of the state health department urged residents to cancel indoor Thanksgiving plans and those that involve large groups of family and friends. Authorities are strictly enforcing a lockdown and nightly curfew after a recent surge in COVID-19 cases. Health authorities announced 1,498 new coronavirus cases Sunday, along with 103 deaths, five less than the daily record set Saturday. Italy added 28,337 confirmed cases, raising to 1,408,868, the country’s total in the pandemic.

The global pandemic won't stop them from tracking Santa Claus' progress as he delivers gifts around the globe on Christmas Eve. The North American Aerospace Defense Command has announced that NORAD will track Santa on Dec. 24, just as it has done for 65 years. “We understand this is a time-honored tradition, and we know undoubtedly there is going to be some disappointment,” said NORAD spokesman Preston Schlachter. Schlachter said NORAD will largely be limiting volunteers to people who already work there and their immediate families. The tracking Santa apps will soon be available on Google Play and the Apple App Store.

A buyer shouted out with glee that they would pay $368,000 for the Rudolph and Santa Claus figures used in the perennially beloved Christmas special “Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.”Bidding for the figures soared past the projected sale price of between $150,000 and $200,000 on Friday at the Icons & Legends of Hollywood Auction held in Los Angeles by Profiles in History. The 6-inch-tall Rudolph and 11-inch-tall Santa were made in Tokyo of wood, wire, cloth and leather, and are still malleable. Other highlights from the two-day auction include Marilyn Monroe's tiger-striped gown from “The Seven Year Itch,” which sold for a whopping $593,750. Another Monroe gown that she wore when she met Queen Elizabeth II at a London film premiere went for $294,400. A Scarlett O'Hara dress that Vivien Leigh wore in “Gone With the Wind” and Gene Kelly's rain suit from “Singin' in the Rain” sold for $150,000 apiece.

Santa Claus is coming to the mall just don't try to sit on his lap. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)NEW YORK – Santa Claus is coming to the mall — just don’t try to sit on his lap. Kids will instead tell Santa what they want for Christmas from six feet away, and sometimes from behind a sheet of plexiglass. Santa and his visitors may need to wear a face mask, even while posing for photos. And Brookfield teamed up with virtual Santa company JingleRing, giving people a way to chat with Santa from home.

With a little bit of Christmas magic, some social distancing and hand sanitizer, this year’s photo with Santa is possible. SeaWorld:SeaWorld Photos With Santa 2020Take a visit to the top of the world to meet the Arctic’s most famous resident, Santa Claus at SeaWorld’s Wild Arctic for a safe alternative to family photos with everyone’s favorite jolly guy! Icon Park Orlando:The breathtaking Christmas photos that you’ve enjoyed at the mall since 2002 have relocated to ICON Park. The Florida Mall:Florida Mall Photos With Santa 2020Lights. Face masks are required in all indoor areas of the resort and Christmas attractions and should not be removed for pictures with Santa.

FILE - Santa Claus waves during the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, Nov. 28, 2019, in New York. Macy's said Santa Claus won't be greeting kids at its flagship New York store this year due to the coronavirus, interrupting a holiday tradition started nearly 160 years ago. However, Macy's said the jolly old man will still appear at the end of the televised Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade. But he will still appear at the end of the televised Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade, the company said. Macy's has been using Santa Claus to draw crowds to its New York store since the early 1860s, calling itself “The Home of Santa Claus" for decades.

Santa Claus will be practicing social distancing this holiday season. For those families who don’t want to go to the mall, Brookfield is offering virtual visits with Santa starting Nov. 1. Social distancing visits with Santa Claus (Copyright 2020 by CNN Newsource - All rights reserved.) Mall operator Preit is also offering zoom visits with Santa and in its malls, Santa will sit behind a plexiglass barrier. The largest mall operator in the U.S., Simon Properties, said Santa will be visiting their malls this year but declined to offer details.

Walt Disney World on Friday announced that its massive holiday light display -- The Osborne Family Spectacle of Dancing Lights -- will not continue after this year. The finale for the Osborne lights will run from November 6 to January 3. It will be the 20th season for the display, which first appeared on Residential Street, a row of home facades in the park's original backlot. In the blog, Disney said, "Our heartfelt thanks go out to the family of Jennings Osborne for letting us share their family tradition year after year." Soon after that in 1995 Walt Disney world brought the dazzling display to Central Florida.