- Title: Santa Claus hopes for a peaceful world in his Christmas message
- Date: 18th December 2024
- Summary: ROVANIEMI, FINLAND (DECEMBER 5, 2024) (REUTERS) PEOPLE ENTERING BUILDING TO MEET SANTA SANTA “ELF” GIVING VISITORS A TICKET SIGN READING (English): “Santa Claus Office – Arctic Circle, Finland” VARIOUS OF PEOPLE QUEUEING FAMILY FROM POLAND MEETING SANTA VISITORS ENTERING SANTA’S ROOM (SOUNDBITE)(English) VISITOR BEATA (SURNAME NOT GIVEN) FROM POLAND, SAYING: “It's very nice place. It's a big pleasure for us that we can be here and we can met Santa Claus. My daughter is very shy (speaks to daughter) Maja, so for us, it's a very big (searches word in English) dream. It was a very big dream, yes, to be here.” FAMILY MEETING SANTA (SOUNDBITE)(English) VISITOR JOJO (SURNAME NOTE GIVEN) FROM THE PHILIPPINES, SAYING: “So after 54 years, this is our first time to be able to be with Santa so it's so exciting and we're so happy and glad that we tried this experience. So we are happy to be here.” PEOPLE QUEUEING (SOUNDBITE)(English) VISITORS FROM INDIA (NAMES NOT GIVEN) SAYING: “It was amazing it was very cute, I think the whole setup is very cute the Santa thing. I loved it, yeah.” “Quite fascinating.” ROVANIEMI, FINLAND (DECEMBER 8, 2024) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ARCTIC CIRCLE MARKER VISITOR TALKING ON THE PHONE, WITH TOY REINDEER IN HIS HAND SANTA VILLAGE ROVANIEMI, FINLAND (DECEMBER 5, 2024) (REUTERS) VISITORS QUEUEING TO ENTER SANTA’S POST OFFICE VARIOUS OF VISITORS INSIDE POST OFFICE VISITOR WRITING POSTCARD PEOPLE SEATED AROUND TABLE WRITING CARDS ROVANIEMI, FINLAND (DECEMBER 6, 2024) (REUTERS) SHELVES WITH LETTERS TO SANTA LETTER TO SANTA VARIOUS OF POSTAL “ELVES” LOOKING AT LETTERS LETTERS ON TABLE ENVELOPE ADDRESSED TO SANTA/ LETTERS (SOUNDBITE)(English) “POSTAL ELF”, KATJA, SAYING: “Santa has received hundreds of thousands of letters to Santa Claus’ main post office from all over the world. So far most letters have arrived from Asian countries, like Taiwan, and also European countries - Poland would be in top five of them. This year, children have asked a lot of toys for present and a very common wish has been a stress ball.” ROVANIEMI, FINLAND (DECEMBER 5, 2024) (REUTERS) VISITORS WRITING POST CARDS (SOUNDBITE) (English) VISITOR STEPHEN (SURNAME NOT GIVEN) FROM IRELAND, SAYING: “Yes, it's magical, it's brilliant, it's fantastic, you know, it's fantastic for the family, lovely weather. Nice and cool, the snow. This is a magical place.” VISITORS LOOKING AT SHELVES OF LETTERS TO SANTA POSTCARDS BEING STAMPED YOUNG BOYS PLACING POST CARDS IN LETTER BOX
- Embargoed: 1st January 2025 11:19
- Keywords: Arctic Circle Santa Santa Claus elf grotto post office
- Location: ROVANIEMI, FINLAND
- City: ROVANIEMI, FINLAND
- Country: Finland
- Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Europe
- Reuters ID: LVA003576509122024RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Santa Claus has said he hopes for a peaceful world as he wished everyone a merry Christmas.
Sitting in his grotto in Rovaniemi on the Arctic Circle meeting visitors and reading letters sent from all over the globe, Santa said he hoped people would find a way to get some Christmas cheer.
“I really hope that we could find a way that people could live in peace because sad things are happening around the world all the time,” he said.
He also said there were many different ways to celebrate Christmas and that they were all right.
In the nearby post office, dozens of Santa's "elves" have been busy sorting the many letters they receive with children's requests for Christmas gifts.
Santa receives hundreds of thousands of letters every year.
One of the "elves" said that so far, most letters had arrived from Asia and Europe.
The post office is constantly busy with many visitors wanting to send their Christmas greetings from Santa's village, complete with a special Arctic stamp.
(Production: Attila Cser, Ilze Filks) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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