Santa Claus was seen starting his long journey to deliver Christmas gifts to the children of the world from his official hometown in the Arctic Circle in a video released on Tuesday (December 23).

The video, made by Visit Rovaniemi, the town's tourism organisation, shows Santa setting off from Lapland on his sleigh on his long journey.

The video also shows Santa's elves preparing the Christmas gifts and dressing Santa in his famous red and white cloak.

With Christmas only hours away, Santa's village in Rovaniemi is now bustling with activity with thousands of people having made their way to northern Finland for a special Christmas holiday.

DESCRIPCIÓN DE IMÁGENES

ROVANIEMI, FINLAND (RECENT) (VISIT ROVANIEMI - Broadcast: No commercial use. No resales. Digital: No commercial use. No resales. )

1. VIDEO RELEASED BY 'VISIT ROVANIEMI' OF SANTA GETTING READY AND SETTING OFF FROM LAPLAND