At the lowest point on earth, in the middle of a giant salt lake where animals and plants have no chance of surviving, a jolly man dressed in red with a flowing white beard stuck a Christmas tree in the ground and went for a swim.
Santa Claus came to the Dead Sea on Sunday ahead of the Christmas season, part of a campaign by Israel’s Tourism Ministry to bring some Christmas cheer during a global pandemic that has kept Christian pilgrims away from the Holy Land.
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Issa Kassissieh, wearing a Santa Claus costume, looks on as he poses for a picture while sitting next to a Christmas tree on a salt formation in the Dead Sea
(Photo: Reuters)
He rode a paddleboard a few hundred meters offshore to a spot where salt has piled up in a massive mushroom shape, allowing him to stand in the middle of the otherwise much deeper lake.
With pomp and circumstance he stuck a decorated Christmas tree in the salty bottom, struck a pose for cameras, and then enjoyed an effortless float in the Dead Sea’s famous, saline-rich waters.
Beyond the compelling landscape, Christianity has roots in the Dead Sea, whose surroundings are abundant with remains of ancient Christian communities.
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Issa Kassissieh, dressed as Santa Claus, waves next to a Christmas tree erected on a salt formation during filming for a Christmas greeting video from the Holy Land in the Dead Sea near Ein Bokeq, Israel
(Photo: Reuters)
The Christmas tree, however, had no chance of surviving in the salty waters and Santa took it with him when he returned to shore.