From Santa Run in Athens to Santa's flooding a skiing town in Maine, the festive season's arrival was marked with such events (Photo: AP/AFP)
Santa or skier dressed as him catches some air during the annual Santa Sunday charity run in Newry, Maine, USA. (Photo: AP)
Santa and skiers dressed like Santa ride the chairlift to participate in a ski event in Newry, Maine, USA (Photo: AP)
Santa or a man dressed like him skis down the slope during a promotional event on the opening weekend in the alpine ski resort in Verbier, Switzerland (Photo: AP)
Runners dressed as Santa Claus take part in the Athens Santa Claus Run in central Athens (Photo: AFP)
Participants arrive at Clapham Common Underground Station to take part in the Santa Dash around Clapham Common (Photo: AFP)
Hundreds of runners dressed in Santa Claus costume run the 8th Michendorfer Nikolauslauf' in Michendorf, eastern Germany (Photo: AFP)