Where to stay in Finland: Santa Claus' official post office, igloos and more

MANILA, Philippines — Imagine spending the holidays this year in a magical place in Finland, where the official Santa Claus works round the clock with his elves sorting out over 30,000 letters daily from children and adults around the world.

You will probably be tasked to roll up your sleeves, lend a hand with the letters, and experience the joy of the Christmas season from the Arctic Circle.

Yes, this is no imaginary holidays. Santa’s Official Post Office in Rovaniemi, Finland is where one could stay to help the elves finish their task in time for Santa to deliver the best Christmas gifts to children all over the world on Christmas Eve. 

Katja, Chief Elf of Santa Claus’ Main Post Office and Airbnb Host, said: “The elves have been working around the clock to transform Santa Claus’ Cabin into a winter wonderland. We want this to be a magical and immersive experience for a family in search of the ultimate yuletide experience. Not only will guests get to sleep in Santa Claus’ Cabin. They’ll also get a sneak peek behind the scenes of the world’s official Santa Claus’ Post Office during our liveliest time of the year.”

For the stay, guests will be invited to join Santa’s elves and become full-fledged elves for a day at Santa Claus’ Post Office. Guests will be given a crash course in "elfing" by Chief Elf and Host Katja, and will work with her team to help sort through the backlog of letters from children and adults all around the world, cross-referencing with Santa Claus’ naughty and nice list.

Guests will also participate in all kinds of tasks, such as emptying mailboxes and helping the elves stamp the post with the special Arctic Circle postmark before it goes to Santa Claus, and learn about the day-to-day workings of the Post Office. After tending to their elf duties, guests will be treated to traditional Finnish meals, a snowmobile activity, a trip to see the Northern Lights and — the most Finnish experience of all — a traditional sauna.

Santa Claus’ Cabin is just a hop, a skip and a jump away from Santa Claus’ Post Office. For Christmas, the room in the cabin has been given a Yuletide makeover complete with traditional Lapland decorations, a wardrobe of elf-wear