Long gone are the days when children ran into his grotto and jumped into his lap, leaving happy with hands full of sweets and heads full of promises of a great haul on Christmas Day. But Santas all around the world are fighting back. They are sticking on their white beards and stuffing their belly packs to bring joy to children from Miami to Tokyo. And regardless of religion, race and whether they are professionals, amateurs or convinced they are the genuine article, they are succeeding in injecting young and old alike with some traditional festive spirit.

India Mohammed Lokhandwala, 26, Bombay

There is no better illustration of Bombay as a melting pot of religious ethnicity than a Muslim playing Santa Claus to Hindu slum children. Mohammed Lokhandwala will be taking on this unique role, as well as the 30C heat, this year when he dons the famous red and white suit to entertain underprivileged children in India’s most congested city. It is his first public outing as Santa – he is normally a human resources manager at Netscribes, a knowledge outsourcing company. But he has some experience playing the part for his one-year-old daughter and is looking forward to spending “some quality time” with less fortunate kids as a volunteer at the Akanksha Foundation.

While India has a Hindu majority, the states of Maharastra, Goa and Kerala have vibrant Christian communities through historical associations with Portuguese traders and missionaries. Bombay has a large Roman Catholic population, who flock to midnight mass on Christmas Eve and decorate their homes with Nativity scenes and giant paper stars. Traditional fir trees are available in the markets, but many choose instead to adorn banana or mango trees.

There are in the region of 25 million Christians in India. For the other 1.08 billion Indians, Christmas means just another day off work, though Mohammed says Indian children do believe in the mystery of Christmas, no matter what their religious faith. He will encourage them to sit on his lap and ask about God. “I don’t think the idea of Santa in India is any different from the rest of the world. It is just as exciting here,” he says. Ashling O’Connor

Australia Paul Millgate, 67, Pacific Fair Shopping Centre, Queensland

It’s summer not winter, they decorate gum trees and have seafood “barbies” on the beach instead of turkey, yet even here in the Antipodes Father Christmas is a regular fixture. Paul Millgate has been dressing up as Santa for the past 23 years. “Most children are fascinated because I have a real beard and hair,” he says.

In Millgate’s experience, it’s often the adults who get the most excited. “Last year a young lady came rushing up to have her photo taken with me, pushing little children out of the way, shouting that her waters had just broken, she was about to go to hospital and that she wanted a ‘before’ photo, and was going to bring her baby back to have an ‘after’ photo. In comparison the requests of the children are quite normal. Their biggest concern is how I am going to get into their houses, because most of them don’t have chimneys.” AS

Kenya Dickson Hilridae, 32, Ya Ya Shopping Centre, Nairobi

When the Ya Ya Shopping Centre started searching for a Santa they didn’t have to look any further than their own canteen. Dickson Hilridae, a cook, immediately volunteered for the position and was hired on the spot. “I love kids and kids love me. I didn’t have any training to be Santa Claus but I have two kids of my own. The most important thing is to be good with children, and that is something that is in the blood, it can’t be taught.

“When the kids come to visit me I always say ‘Merry Christmas’ and then I talk to their parents. I ask if they have been good or bad and whether they have worked hard at school. The kids sit on my lap, although at first they look a bit nervous and scared. I smile and talk to them and calm them down, then after a while they are really happy.” AS

Brazil Bianco Bertoncini, 69, Iguatemi Shopping Centre, Sao Paolo

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