Ein Bokek, Israel: 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.
He rode a paddle board a few hundred meters (yards) 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.
![CHRISTMAS-SEASON-SANTA-DEAD-SEA CHRISTMAS-SEASON-SANTA-DEAD-SEA](https://img.onmanorama.com/content/dam/mm/en/travel/travel-news/images/2020/11/25/santa-israel-dead-sea.jpg.transform/576x300/image.jpg)
The Christmas tree, however, had no chance of surviving in the salty waters and Santa took it with him when he returned to shore.