Children get a face-to-face encounter with Santa Claus in Finland’s Lapland region. The sparsely populated Arctic area has branded itself as Santa's “official hometown,” drawing thousands of visitors to its holiday attractions.

Here, Santa can be seen riding his reindeer-drawn sleigh through snow-covered forests. He’s also available for meet and greets, where children can deliver their gift requests in person.
For those unable to make the journey, Santa also accepts letters. Lapland is home to Santa Claus’ post office, where workers sort through some 32,000 letters every day from children all over the world.

Video: Reuters
Music: Big Bang Fuzz