Forget about the economy and the oil crisis.  Germany is facing a not-so-merry shortage of its own: a Santa Shortage.  (That’s Weihnachtsmann for you linguists out there.)

It seems that Germany is short on round, bearded men with clean police records who want to spend several hours swapping children on their laps.  Qualified Santas must also be willing to pull up to a crowded mall in a sleigh or, alternatively, park far enough away that the children’s suspension of disbelief isn’t shattered by the arrival of Santa in a small, fuel-efficient VW.

Thought: Santa could say he’s resting the reindeer (das Rentier) for the Big Night.  I’m just saying – if parking is a barrier in this time of crisis, perhaps creative solutions can be found.

And so it is that the Fantasy T-Wearer of the Week is any potential or current German Santa put off by the stringent parking requirements of the job.

May all you Santa hopefuls wear the shirt at right and park with a clear conscience and a minimized hike in the fairly cumbersome red suit.  Viel Erfolg, Weihnachtsmann!