‘Santa Claus’ asks for more love and compassion as he departs from Finland

In the Finnish village of Rovaniemi on Saturday (December 23) its most famous resident, Santa Claus, began his annual round the world tour, marking for many the start of Christmas celebrations.

Although the myth of Father Christmas is steeped in tradition, Santa showed himself to be a thoroughly modern man, his trip powered by renewable reindeer to make sure it is carbon footprint-free.

A man dressed as Santa Claus, also known as Father Christmas, leaves for his Christmas journey from Santa's Village at the Arctic Circle in Rovaniemi, Finland December 23, 2017. Lehtikuva/Laura Haapamaki via REUTERS

Responding to the half a million letters he receives each year from children, he takes off by sleigh on the night before Christmas Eve, delivering rewards for being good throughout the year.

In Finland Santa Claus is known as Joulupukki, which translates literally into Christmas Goat. In Rovaniemi, children can meet him face-to-face before he sets off, and, as usual, the village was crowded with visitors cheering him off.

Santa has had a busy last few weeks, with Rovaniemi packed with tourists from all over the world.

The Santa Claus Village in northern Finland has hosted some 160,000 visitors this year, the largest contingent coming from Asia. — Reuters