Germany is apparently running out of qualified Santa Clauses.

So while Germans are trying to shut out the financial crisis by taking comfort in traditional festivities, there is an acute shortage of Santas to entertain children at shopping centers, Christmas markets and private parties.

A Christmas season without jolly old Saint Nick to “Yo, Ho-Ho” us all into the spirit for a cool Yule? No lap for a child to sit on and whisper a long wish list into Santa's ear, while proclaiming to have been good all year?

To ensure the peppermint stick doesn't end up hanging unclaimed on the tree, job agencies are looking to recruit and train some Santas and fast.

Wanted

Cheerful, chubby men, preferably with fluffy white beards, no criminal record, and prepared to work hard for one month.

"Being Santa is not an easy job," Jens Wittenberger, in charge of Santa Claus recruitment at the Jobcafe Munich, told Reuters this week. "To be honest, not many people have what it takes to be a good Father Christmas."

The job center wants its Santas to be child-friendly, good organizers, reliable and have acting skills. They also need a clean police record.

Where to apply?

Recruitment sessions are being held in cities across the country, and Wittenberger adds, while the job may be stressful, it's better than being jobless.

"Santas can make up to $75 (60 euros) an hour," he said. "That's not bad, is it?"