At the Santa Claus Village in Lapland, a team of elves are on hand to go through the 30,000 letters that arrive daily in the final run-up to Christmas.

Sitting in his chamber reading the letters, Santa Claus sent his Christmas greetings and revealed what he would like for Christmas this year in his annual message on Monday.

Year after year, letters are sent by children from all over the world, asking Santa to leave them gifts under their Christmas trees as a reward for being good during the year. And grown-ups commonly ask for health, peace and love for themselves, family and friends.

On top of the enormous pile of Christmas gifts is the good spirit that Santa himself believes is one of the best things about Christmas. 

As he stressed in his Christmas message this year, he always appreciates "such values as kindness, joy, friendship, and love to nature."

"Our friend nature has been in trouble for a while now, and now we all can give one gift together. We can help nature. I wish you all a Merry Christmas," he said before riding off on his sleigh.

Santa Claus has always had a connection with nature, traveling on his sleigh through all types of terrain to hand out Christmas gifts every year.

A new report released by the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, however, reveals that the Arctic is becoming a much less inhabitable place for the reindeer.

According to the report on the impact of climate change in the Arctic, the last two decades saw the population of wild reindeer, or caribou, in the Arctic fall sharply by more than half, such a drastic decline "that recovery isn't in sight."

As the climate warms and the environment deteriorates, Santa reminds us that nature needs its little helpers as well. 

(With input from Reuters)

(Cover: Santa Claus sits in his chamber at the Santa Claus Village, in Rovaniemi, Finland, December 21, 2017. /VCG Photo)

(Video by Liang Si)