3 elves are cycling from the German town of St. Nikolaus to Finland's Santa Claus Village

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ST. NIKOLAUS, Germany (AP) — Santa's elves start early in Germany.

Three postal workers set off Saturday on their nearly 3,000-kilometer (1,860-mile) bicycle journey from St. Nikolaus, Germany, to the small town of Rovaniemi, Finland, which is home to Santa Claus Village, according to German news agency dpa.

The cyclists are traveling north to bring letters and Christmas wish lists addressed to Santa Claus from St. Nikolaus, in Germany’s Saarland state, to the winter-themed amusement park perched on the edge of the Arctic Circle.

St. Nikolaus himself, with his long purple cape and a tall golden staff, was on hand Saturday to hand over the letters to the three elves. The trip will take roughly two weeks as the three cycle through Germany, Denmark and Sweden en route to Finland, dpa reported.

The group is among the Deutsche Post volunteers who answer letters from children worldwide — more than 30,000 annually — that are addressed to the St. Nikolaus post office, which has its own postal code.

The tradition dates back to 1967, and each reply features a special stamp.

The town of St. Nikolaus is one of seven places in Germany with a Christmas-themed name, all of which receive letters addressed to Santa Claus or Saint Nick.

This year, St. Nikolaus handed over his own wish list to the cyclists, dpa reported.

He's hoping for a reply from Santa Claus in Finland.