Swedish police alerted after Santa's gray outfit angers foreign guest

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Associated Press

Dec 25, 12:18 PM EST
Swedish police alerted after Santa's gray outfit angers foreign guest

STOCKHOLM (AP) -- Police in Sweden had to intervene after a foreign visitor to a spa and conference center grew angry because a visiting Santa Claus was wearing a gray instead of red costume.

No one was arrested during the incident in Vallsta, some 300 kilometers (180 miles) north of Stockholm, early Tuesday.

But police said in a brief statement that the foreign guest grew agitated over the Santa outfit and argued with the center's staff. They did not say where the foreigner was from.



Read more: http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/E/EU_ODD_SWEDEN_GRAY_SANTA?SITE=WIJAN&SECTION=EUROPE&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

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(Short article, no more at link.)

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[freshwest]

1. Good grief, what an ignoramus!

[JackRiddler]

6. Probably just a drunk.

Wonder what country the furrner is from. (It doesn't HAVE to be the US, of course.)

[awoke_in_2003]

14. But I would bet he was. nt

[JackRiddler]

27. Oh yes, so would I. Best odds.

[Enrique]

2. was it Bill O'Reilly? n/t

[monmouth3]

3. Let us hope it's not a republican USA tourist. We're already the laughing stock..n/t

[DFW]

4. I checked the DN article

It said the guest was "powerfully dissatisfied (kraftfullt missnöjd)" and that the grey "santa (not quite a direct equivalent of 'tomte')" did not jive with his image.

Please, please, PLEASE do not let this jerk be from Texas, pretty please?

[freshwest]

8. Our condolences to any state he came from...

[20score]

5. I would bet a paycheck or two that this was a teabagger.

A War on Christmas, teabagger.

[Bette Noir]

7. I believe Santa's red coat dates to a Coca Cola ad campaign from the 1930s.

If Santa's not drinking Coke on camera, he can wear whatever he chooses. In winter, in Sweden, I'd think fur is a good choice. If he tried that in LA, and the heat stroke didn't get him first, someone would turn it red whether he wanted it that way or not. (I never wore my vintage furs, for fear of protesters.)

(edited for typo)

[iemitsu]

9. Yes, I was going to say that the upset guest must be

from Coca Cola land, where all the Santas are fat and dressed in red.

[dipsydoodle]

13. Yes but after all this time

it can be taken as read.

[blackspade]

22. Bingo!

Although I think it may originate as early as the late 1910s-1920s.

Before that the traditional outfit in the US was blue or green.

[ashling]

26. Thomas Nast had him in Red

I believe Clement Moore did too.

maybe not as much red ...

[Gemini Cat]

10. The stupid burns brightly.

My first thought was it was probably an American. I find that sad.

[sakabatou]

11. Getting so angry at an outfit? WTF?

[tularetom]

12. God Jul, y'all!

What is ironic to me is that nowhere in the world is Christmas more "Christmasy" than in Sweden.

Maybe it's the climate, maybe it's the environment, I have no idea.

It sure isn't the fact that it's a hyper religious society. It seemed pretty secular to me.

But they sure knew how to celebrate Christmas. In a totally non commercial manner.

[Paladin]

15. People Have Died For A Lot Less In The U.S. (nt)

[SoapBox]

16. Well, what the?

The world has LOST its collective mind!

[California Expat]

17. God Jul to all!

The Santa figure Americans know is a late arrival here in Sweden.

Tomten, as he is known here, is a gnome who travels with a goat delivering presents on Christmas eve afternoon (in person) right after Kalle Anka (better known in the US as Donald Duck). He wears a red hat, brown pants and a blue jacket.

My adopted country has some interesting customs at this time of year.

[BigDemVoter]

18. Oh boy. . .

I wish the only thing I had to worry about was what Santa was wearing!

Do you suppose this person has some issues?

[Dash87]

19. Has to be an American.

No other country would produce someone so dumb.

[underthematrix]

20. I was thinking the same thing.

[dflprincess]

25. That was my first thought

It makes me sad that it was.

[AAO]

21. "They did not say where the foreigner was from."

Texas?

[pitbullgirl1965]

24. Fox News n/t

[Paulie]

23. Wouldn't his suit be grey/black from all the soot in the chimneys?

You'd think so....

[cynzke]

28. Only....

An American "redneck" ignoramus would cause a ruckus over this. Totally ignorant to any other cultures and traditions. Good thing he had to leave his "weapons" at home!

[TwilightGardener]

29. Your first pic is actually a grizzly bear wearing a mask

to lure tasty children. Just sayin'.

[HooptieWagon]

30. Its gotta be an American...

and a teabagger/bible-thumper. And about 90% probability of being from the South. The stupid burns brightly here.