Vocabulary

 

magic	fairy tale	landscape
entire	area (2)	Arctic Circle
wish	gateway	glistening
doubt	fortunate	make a wish
guy	basically	dream (2)
real	polyglot	Father Christmas
gift	in need	lend a helping hand
parcel	elf/elves	all year round
official	attention	stamp (2)
need	postcard	memorable
dear	succumb	theme park
air	Lapland	around the world
lie (2)	remote	pilgrimage
way	genuine	postmark
border	Celsius	temperature
jaunt	reindeer	couple (2)
pull	stately	spectrum
pace	scrooge	manage (2)
deliver	dogsled	relative (2)
cozy	practice	atmosphere (2)
glow	stubborn	existence
sleigh	campfire	enchantment

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Video

 

 
 
 
 

Transcript

 
Deep in the magical snowy landscapes of Finnish Lapland, near the glistening city of Rovaniemi is the place this Santa calls home.

Merry Christmas!

Visitors from all over the world make the pilgrimage to Santa Claus Village up in the Arctic Circle. Every year since 1985, Santa has welcomed thousands of guests, young and old, right here in his own living room.

He listens to all their wishes.

Santa Claus: “Hello, I’m Santa Claus, and I feel I’m quite real. We are right now here at the Arctic Circle, which is the gateway to the north, but it’s also a gateway to the world of fairy tales and dreams, and a wonderful place to make a wish.”

This is one place where no one doubts the existence of Santa Claus.

Visitor One: “I don’t think you’re ever too old to believe in Santa

Visitor Two: “Since my childhood, I know there is a guy who can give gifts. So I just want to see now whether he’s real or not. So that’s why I came here.”

Visitor Three: “Santa Claus actually could speak Portuguese.”
Visitor Four: “Yes, yes, I think he is a polyglot or something like that.”

And every year, about five-hundred-thousand (500,000) letters and cards with wish lists arrive at his official post office. Of course, Father Christmas can’t answer that many letters himself, but he has a host of busy elves who lend a helping hand.

Auli, Post Office Elf: “We are open all year round, every day, and this is like a normal post here in Finland. You can send your cards, parcels. You can buy nice stamps, and of course, this is the place where all the letters to Santa Claus comes to, what people and children are writing.”

Visitors like to send postcards stamped with an Arctic Circle postmark to their friends and families. Santa Claus gives every letter his full attention, but some a more memorable than others.

Santa Claus: “Sometimes I get letters in which little boys or girls tell that they have everything they need. But they know somebody who is in need, and they ask me to remember them.

And these kinds of letters are very dear to my heart.”

The whole theme park is based on Christmas. In Santa Claus Village, visitors can experience the entire spectrum of the Christmas season every day.

For lovers of Christmas, the village near Rovaniemi has been the place to get into the spirit for thirty (30) years now.

But legend has it that Santa’s real home is much farther north.

Sanna Karkkainen, Managing Director, Visit Rovaniemi: “We have always been told that Santa is from Kauvatontori, that is a mountain that is called Air Mountain because Santa could hear all the wishes of the kids around the world.

But it lies in a very remote area, very close to the Finno-Russian border, and it’s hard to get in there. That’s why basically, Santa’s Village was built for travelers to meet Santa in an easy way.”

Santa Claus Village is open all year round, but if feels most genuine in the winter months, when the temperature drops to minus 20 degrees Celsius, perfect for a little jaunt with a dogsled.

Reindeer pull sleighs at a more stately pace, so how does Santa manage to deliver so many gifts to so many children?

Santa Claus: “Time is relative. And that it. You just have to know how to be in the millions of different places around the same time and practicing it so well a couple of centuries, I think I’ve managed it quite well.”

The atmosphere gets really cozy in the evening, with glowing campfires and entertaining music shows. Even the most stubborn Scrooge succumbs to the holiday’s enchantment.

And for those who aren’t fortunate enough to visit him, Santa has this message:

“I wish a wish you all a very, very Happy Christmas!”

*     *     *     *     *     *     *

Questions

 

Lapland. The Santa Claus Village near the town of Rovaniemi is in Alaska, US. True or false?

Finland. Do only Finnish families with children visit the Santa Village?

Norway. Santa only speaks English. Is this right or wrong?

Russia. Many people only send e-mails to Santa Claus. Yes or no?

Siberia. Does Santa especially like letters in which children ask for a new bicycle, football, computer, etc?

Iceland. Is the Santa Claus Village open only during Christmas in December?

Greenland. Can visitors ride a dog sleigh?

Alaska. People feel happy and full of spirit in the Santa Village. Is this correct or incorrect?
 
 
 

Canada. I have seen Santa Claus in my city. Yes or no? If yes, where do you see him?

Sweden. Is there a Santa Claus Town in your country? Are there Christmas Villages or Christmas Markets?

Denmark. Christmas has become less spiritual and more commercial. What do you think?

Faeroe Islands. Would you like to visit Rovaniemi, Finland? What do you wish for Christmas?

Shetland Islands. What will happen in the future?