Santa gets axe for euro in Cyprus finance ministry

A man dressed as Father Christmas waits for his turn at a casting session in Berlin, November 20, 2007.

NICOSIA (Reuters) - Santa and his reindeer have been axed in the run up to Christmas in Cyprus because of the euro which will be adopted by the Mediterranean island on January 1, the finance ministry said on Wednesday.

The fat man with his red coat will be replaced by the mythical Europa, and the reindeer with a winged bull, replete with a woolly scarf and a bright red nose.

The Finance Ministry said it hoped the theme would kindle interest from schools in the euro, which Cyprus will adopt as its national currency next year. It will be set up in the lobby of the ministry in Nicosia, the capital.

"We are not attempting to be politically correct, we just think its a nice way to focus attention on the euro," a Finance Ministry source told Reuters. "Santa will be back next year."

(Reporting by Michele Kambas, editing by Paul Casciato)