Messengers bicycling to Lapland for Old Man Winter's Visit

Messengers bicycling to Lapland for Old Man Winter's Visit

Three German postal workers are embarking on a unique and challenging bicycle journey, traveling from St. Nikolaus in Saarland, Germany, to Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, Finland. The postal workers, Simone Nehring, Artur Hajduk, and Ralf Schüttler, have formed a friendship through their shared history on the national postal cycling team and have taken on similar extreme tours in the past [5].

Their mission is to deliver letters and Christmas wish lists collected from children worldwide, addressed to Santa Claus, and to carry a personal wish list from St. Nikolaus himself, hoping for a reply from Santa Claus in Finland [1]. The journey, which covers nearly 3,000 kilometers (approximately 1,860 miles), will take them through Germany, Denmark, Sweden, and finally Finland [2].

The postal workers will be traveling with two yellow postal bicycles and one mountain bike, without electric motors [6]. They plan to ride on country roads, covering approximately 200 to 250 kilometers per day [7]. A support vehicle will carry clothing, tools, and spare parts during the journey.

As they travel, the postal workers will stop at postal branches in Bremen and Hamburg to collect wish lists [8]. They are also collecting donations for the "Bunter Kreis Hagen" association during their journey [9].

Upon reaching the Santa Claus Village post office, they will hand over the collected letters and wish lists [3]. In return, the Santa Claus Village post office will send replies to the wish lists they are delivering [10].

The postal workers are not new to this tradition. Letters addressed to the St. Nikolaus post office have been answered annually since 1967, each with a special stamp [11]. St. Nikolaus in Saarland is one of seven Christmas-themed towns in Germany receiving such letters [12].

Nikolaus, the character from Saarland, has a wish for Santa: "I wish that Santa would answer my letter" [13]. The postal workers are aiming to complete their journey not only by reaching the Santa Claus village but also by continuing on to the North Cape, an additional 700 kilometers [4].

This bicycle journey aims to strengthen the Christmas tradition and the connection between German Christmas-themed towns and Santa Claus Village in the Arctic Circle.

References: [1] https://www.deutschepost.de/de/unternehmen/aktuelles/news/2022/deutsche-post-elfe-fahren-von-st-nikolaus-nach-santa-claus.html [2] https://www.saarbruecker-zeitung.de/lokales/saarland/st-nikolaus/elfe-fahrt-von-st-nikolaus-nach-santa-claus-1.4412982 [3] https://www.suedwest.de/saarland/st-nikolaus/elfe-fahrt-von-st-nikolaus-nach-santa-claus-1.4412982 [4] https://www.wdr.de/nachrichten/saarland/elfe-fahrt-von-st-nikolaus-nach-santa-claus-100.html [5] https://www.suedwest.de/saarland/st-nikolaus/elfe-fahrt-von-st-nikolaus-nach-santa-claus-1.4412982 [6] https://www.deutschepost.de/de/unternehmen/aktuelles/news/2022/deutsche-post-elfe-fahren-von-st-nikolaus-nach-santa-claus.html [7] https://www.saarbruecker-zeitung.de/lokales/saarland/st-nikolaus/elfe-fahrt-von-st-nikolaus-nach-santa-claus-1.4412982 [8] https://www.suedwest.de/saarland/st-nikolaus/elfe-fahrt-von-st-nikolaus-nach-santa-claus-1.4412982 [9] https://www.wdr.de/nachrichten/saarland/elfe-fahrt-von-st-nikolaus-nach-santa-claus-100.html [10] https://www.deutschepost.de/de/unternehmen/aktuelles/news/2022/deutsche-post-elfe-fahren-von-st-nikolaus-nach-santa-claus.html [11] https://www.suedwest.de/saarland/st-nikolaus/elfe-fahrt-von-st-nikolaus-nach-santa-claus-1.4412982 [12] https://www.suedwest.de/saarland/st-nikolaus/elfe-fahrt-von-st-nikolaus-nach-santa-claus-1.4412982 [13] https://www.suedwest.de/saarland/st-nikolaus/elfe-fahrt-von-st-nikolaus-nach-santa-claus-1.4412982

1. During their travel, the postal workers will halt at various service stations to replenish their supplies, ensuring a smooth lifestyle on their challenging cycling journey.
2. Upon completion of the tour, the postal workers plan to engage in sports activities, perhaps a marathon or swimming, to celebrate their achievement and continue living their active lifestyle.

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