WATCH: Bountiful Santa Claus Leaves His Hometown Lapland To Deliver Christmas Gifts

Rovaniemi: Santa Claus departs from Lapland, his official hometown in Finland, to begin his annual gift delivery around the world. Crowds gather in Rovaniemi to watch as he delivers a message of goodwill, surrounded by his team of elves. After boarding his sleigh, led by a reindeer and filled with presents, he waves to the crowd and wishes everyone a Merry Christmas. 

Speaking at the event, Christmas figure, Santa Claus, "It's so nice to be here on this very important and exciting day." "I think it's impossible to be good and nice all the time. Yes, it's too much to ask. You should just try to do your best, as in all things in life. And if you can be quite good almost all the time, don't worry about the gifts. It's time to relax," he said. 

"There are so many sad things happening in the world all the time, and we wish they could be different at the moment. But I think that is the reason why we should try to find different ways to create good feelings for us and everybody. And, if you can do that, we can create the Christmas of good cheer for as many people as possible," he added.