Kassel (dpa/lhe) - A flying Santa Claus is literally the highlight of the fairytale Christmas market in Kassel this year. Every evening, the high-wire artist Fernando Traber whizzes over visitors and stalls in the center of the north Hessian city in a sparkling reindeer sleigh at a height of 40 meters. "We show a mixture of tightrope artistry and acting," explained Traber, who is part of the nationally known family of artists of the same name from Breisach near Freiburg.
To do this, a 160 meter long rope was stretched across Friedrichsplatz, explained the 24-year-old, who says he has been an artist since he was five. The sled stops halfway. Then Traber - disguised as Santa Claus - tells the Christmas market visitors the story of Rudolf the reindeer before continuing his journey.
The flying Santa Claus, who according to the Christmas market organizer Kassel Marketing has never been seen in Hesse before, climbs into his sleigh every day until December 23rd. The approximately 15-minute performance can be seen from Sunday to Thursday from 5 p.m. and on Friday and Saturday from 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.
