Latest news with #SantaClausVillage
The Sun
2 days ago
- The Sun
I visited Christmassy Lapland in the middle of summer – with reindeer rides & Santa meet-and-greets in 27C temperatures
IT may sound jolly odd, but Santa is a hot attraction for the summer. 'Welcome to Lapland,' says the Uber driver as he flashes a smile. 6 6 It's mid-July, and I've arrived at 'the official home of Santa Claus'. I'd heard whispers about Rovaniemi's summer scene, but I hadn't quite realised how passionately the city upholds its year-round festivities. My first stop is the Santa Claus Village — an immersive Christmassy epicentre north of the Finnish city centre. If it sounds bizarre, it certainly feels it. On the drive to the village, I watch bikini-clad crowds weaving through Rovaniemi's streets towards the Rovaniemen Uimaranta — a sandy beach on the banks of the River Kemijoki. It's 27C and summer is underway. Yet the signs of the city's festive subculture are unmissable. Free-roaming reindeer sunbathe next to roadsides, and we whizz past a barbershop named 'Santa Hair'. I'm basked in sunshine as I step into Santa Claus Village, a collection of red-painted alpine buildings amid fir and pine trees. Aside from Santa meet-and-greets, there's the functioning Main Post Office, Santa's Pets and Arctic Circle Husky Park. With free entrance, you can explore at your own pace. It's not the lack of snow that strikes me first, but the absence of crowds. Rather than hordes of thermal-clad tourists, there's a summery serenity in the air. In the main square, residents casually cross the white line that marks the official Arctic Circle boundary — accompanied by plodding dogs on leads. Last December, there was a three-hour waitlist to begin queuing to see Santa Claus, now I watch a young family walk straight in. Ignorance is bliss and I've decided I'm too anxious to discover if I'm on the 'naughty or nice' list. Instead, I'm focused on meeting some of the four-legged helpers. I dash towards the reindeer, where visitors are promised intimate hand-feeding encounters. Elves serve ice cream Summer is a special season for the reindeer. Their antlers are at their largest and most of the females have calves at foot. Adjoining the reindeer pen is the home of another Christmas celebrity: Mrs Claus. 6 6 6 Her lodge is set back from the main walkway and if everyone else is aware that it's July, the elves in charge of decor have not got the memo. A floor-to-ceiling Christmas tree glistens in the corner, while beaming elves serve ice cream and pastries. 'When people visit in winter, I always tell them to visit in summer,' says Mrs Claus, in a lilting voice with a twinkle in her eye. She spins a rhythmical tale: Summers spent swimming, fishing for salmon ('Santa's favourite') and picking blueberries to incorporate into her baking. The thawing of the forest shapes the activities that Santa Claus Village has on offer, though not as dramatically as you might expect. Inside the Post Office, the elves still stamp and mail letters, sorting selected letters into a designated post box marked 'December 2025'. The Husky Park welcomes tourists to play with puppies or take rides on wheeled sledges adapted for snowless conditions. While trainers replace clunky snowshoes for walks along forest trails. Christmas isn't a season, but a mindset.
Washington Post
10-08-2025
- Washington Post
3 elves are cycling from the German town of St. Nikolaus to Finland's Santa Claus Village
ST. NIKOLAUS, Germany — Santa's elves start early in Germany. Three postal workers set off Saturday on their nearly 3,000-kilometer (1,860-mile) bicycle journey from St. Nikolaus, Germany, to the small town of Rovaniemi, Finland, which is home to Santa Claus Village , according to German news agency dpa. The cyclists are traveling north to bring letters and Christmas wish lists addressed to Santa Claus from St. Nikolaus, in Germany's Saarland state, to the winter-themed amusement park perched on the edge of the Arctic Circle. St. Nikolaus himself, with his long purple cape and a tall golden staff, was on hand Saturday to hand over the letters to the three elves. The trip will take roughly two weeks as the three cycle through Germany, Denmark and Sweden en route to Finland, dpa reported. The group is among the Deutsche Post volunteers who answer letters from children worldwide — more than 30,000 annually — that are addressed to the St. Nikolaus post office, which has its own postal code. The tradition dates back to 1967, and each reply features a special stamp. The town of St. Nikolaus is one of seven places in Germany with a Christmas-themed name, all of which receive letters addressed to Santa Claus or Saint Nick. This year, St. Nikolaus handed over his own wish list to the cyclists, dpa reported. He's hoping for a reply from Santa Claus in Finland.
Associated Press
10-08-2025
- Associated Press
3 elves are cycling from the German town of St. Nikolaus to Finland's Santa Claus Village
ST. NIKOLAUS, Germany (AP) — Santa's elves start early in Germany. Three postal workers set off Saturday on their nearly 3,000-kilometer (1,860-mile) bicycle journey from St. Nikolaus, Germany, to the small town of Rovaniemi, Finland, which is home to Santa Claus Village, according to German news agency dpa. The cyclists are traveling north to bring letters and Christmas wish lists addressed to Santa Claus from St. Nikolaus, in Germany's Saarland state, to the winter-themed amusement park perched on the edge of the Arctic Circle. St. Nikolaus himself, with his long purple cape and a tall golden staff, was on hand Saturday to hand over the letters to the three elves. The trip will take roughly two weeks as the three cycle through Germany, Denmark and Sweden en route to Finland, dpa reported. The group is among the Deutsche Post volunteers who answer letters from children worldwide — more than 30,000 annually — that are addressed to the St. Nikolaus post office, which has its own postal code. The tradition dates back to 1967, and each reply features a special stamp. The town of St. Nikolaus is one of seven places in Germany with a Christmas-themed name, all of which receive letters addressed to Santa Claus or Saint Nick. This year, St. Nikolaus handed over his own wish list to the cyclists, dpa reported. He's hoping for a reply from Santa Claus in Finland.
