With more than half a million visitors a year, the Santa Claus village in Finland is truly the home of Christmas.
December is the busiest time of the year, as Santa, his elves and the reindeer prepare for the one-day-around-the world journey on Christmas Eve.
The village post office receives letters from children from all over the world. Helper elf Elina helps sort out the many thousand wish lists.
‘Santa Claus has received so far about 280,000 letters so far and every year he receives about half a million letters from all around the world and we elves here at Santa’s main post office, we are working hard to make sure all the wishes to Santa Claus are delivered,’
Before embarking on this year’s trip around the world, Santa Claus himself took the time to reach out to the people of the world with a heartfelt Christmas message:
‘So that’s it. Another year coming to its end.
‘This was not an easy year, financial problems all over the world, but I was very happy to see that parents still didn’t have to save on the children.
‘This was a restless year too, problems in different parts of the world, so my great wish – world peace – was not gained yet. But I still look forward with a positive mind towards the world leaders to be working on this one.
‘I hope all of you will be able to spend Christmas time with your loved ones, find time to reach out, give a helping hand to the others, take care. Love, that’s the main thing.
‘I wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a very happy New Year,’
village – falu
truly – valóban
busiest – legforgalmasabb
elves – manók/tündék
reindeer – rénszarvas
to receive – kapni/fogadni
to sort out – kiválasztani/elrendezni
wish – kívánság
so far – ezidáig
to make sure – biztosítani/meggyőződni
to deliver – kézbesíteni/szállítani
to embark on – elindulni (útra)
heartfelt – szívből jövő
financial – anyagi/pénzügyi
to save on – takarékoskodni/spórolni vmin
restless – nyugtalan
to gain – elérni
mind – elme
leader – vezető
