COPENHAGEN, Monday 19 July 2010 (AFP) - More than 120 Santas and elves from across Europe and the United States, Canada and Japan gathered north of Copenhagen on Monday for the start of their 53rd annual convention.

And much like previous years, the date of Christmas celebrations was the main subject of debate, convention spokesman Jens Peder Tornvig told AFP, describing the question as "a puzzle which divides Santa Clauses".

"All seems to indicate most are in favour of December 24, but a minority wants to stick to December 25 or January 6, the date of Russian Orthodox Christmas," he said.

He added the absence this year of the Russian Santa would make a decision on the date, to be announced Wednesday, a bit easier to reach.

Another absentee was the Finnish Father Christmas, who once against snubbed the convention over the special status of Greenland's Santa, claiming he is the world's only true Santa Claus.

"Everyone, or almost everyone, recognises that the only Father Christmas, the mythical figure, resides on the ice sheets of Greenland," Tornvig said.

The Santas, preoccupied by their weight, were to bathe near the convention site, before parading through Copenhagen's streets by foot and bicycle on Tuesday, "to the delight of children wanting to get their wish list in ahead of time", the spokesman said.