It’s that time of year again, visit any mall around the country and you will find the badly put together Santa’s Grotto, with a queue of impatient parents and fidgeting children snaking around the side.

And all the kids will end up doing of course, is screaming their little hearts out as they sit on some creepy old dude’s lap.

But where do all the Santas come from? Taking a look at this series of photographs and it seems the barrel was scraped in order to fill the role. You have to wonder what they were thinking…

1. Somewhere there’s a warrant for this guy’s arrest.

 2. Clearly his favorite time of year

3. ‘Tis the season to be jolly’

4. Ray Charles spreading the festive cheer

5. She’s not so sure

6. Yep this is quite normal 

7. Even Scientology wants to get in on the action

8. Sinister Santa

9. Definitely unsuitable

10. So what exactly is he sshh’ing about?

11. Creepy bastard

12. Have yourself a merry hobo Christmas

13. A face mask too far

14. Santa Claws

15. A perfectly suitable gift for an 8 year old

16. For Christ’s sake hide the scotch

17. Poor little kid

18. The look says it all…