Search on for the worst Santa photo

Desperately trying to get a screaming kid to take a photo with Santa can be a nightmare. But sometimes it makes for hilarious pictures. And we’re hunting for the worst Santa pic fails.

Fight or flight mode was the only option for this little one. Picture: Jade Perna

If your child refuses to smile for the annual shopping centre Santa photo, you’re not alone.

Desperately trying to get a screaming child to smile on the lap of a stranger has wended its way to becoming an Aussie rite of passage, and the results speak for themselves.

From frowns to tears to screaming and bawling, kids have been rebelling against the forced Santa pictures since their inception.

Like laws of attraction, wherever there is a queue for a photo on Santa’s lap, there is inevitably a parent holding up a futile soft toy in front of a howling child’s face.

Here are some of the funniest Santa fails from Herald Sun readers.

If you think you can top these photos with your own Santa tragedies, send them to the Herald Sun.

Originally published as Search on for the worst Santa photo