Santa Claus and his reindeer have begun their journey around the globe, with billions of stops to make in less than 24 hours.
Every Christmas Eve, Norad — the North American Aerospace Defense Command — provides real-time tracking of Santa’s sleigh as it navigates the skies.
The cherished tradition dates back to 1955 when a misprint in a department store advert led a young child to call a Colorado military command center asking to speak to Santa Claus.
Air Force Colonel Harry Shoup, who picked up the call that night, played along and assured the child he was Santa. As more calls poured in, he assigned an officer to handle the queries, starting a festive custom that Norad continued after its creation in 1958.
For decades, Norad has swapped its usual airspace monitoring duties to answer children’s questions about Santa’s journey and his astonishing present-delivery operation.
Each year, at least 100,000 kids call into the organization to inquire about Santa’s location. Millions more follow online — in nine languages — as St. Nick swoops along the earth’s meridians.
Stay tuned for updates as we follow Santa’s magical route across the globe.
Key points
- How to track Santa’s journey
- Why did Norad start tracking Santa?
- What route does Santa take?
- When will Santa arrive at my house?
What is the time in Russia where Santa is currently delivering gifts
11:22
Tara Cobham
Santa is less than a minute away from Esso in Russia, where it is close to midnight.
The time in the village is 23.21 on Christmas Eve (GMT+12).
Santa heads for Russia
11:08
Tara Cobham
Santa is heading for Russia.
His first stop in the country will be Uelen.
He and his reindeer have already delivered almost 50 million presents.
Norad confirms Santa has taken off from the North Pole
11:05
Tara Cobham
It's official! Santa has taken off from the North Pole! Follow his journey on https://t.co/Odv8Z6jB0n #NORADTracksSanta #NTS24 pic.twitter.com/IcZTEow18P
— NORAD Tracks Santa (@NoradSanta) December 24, 2024
Santa Claus and his reindeer have officially taken off
11:03
Tara Cobham
Santa Claus and his reindeer have begun their journey around the globe.
They are set to make billions of stops over the next 24 hours.
Santa is officially getting ready for take off
10:55
Tara Cobham
Santa Claus and his reindeers are officially getting ready for take off, according to Norad.
The time is near! Santa is getting ready for takeoff! #NORADTracksSanta #NTS24 pic.twitter.com/jKHGg2lakc
— NORAD Tracks Santa (@NoradSanta) December 24, 2024
Santa is set to take off within the hour, according to Norad
10:48
Tara Cobham
Santa Claus will take off on his sleigh within the hour, according to Norad.
Are you ready? Santa will takeoff within the hour! Follow along soon at https://t.co/Jttab2I9Nz pic.twitter.com/XicaZfwQkt
— NORAD Tracks Santa (@NoradSanta) December 24, 2024
Norad’s radars and satellites are ready to track Santa
10:03
Tara Cobham
Norad’s radars and satellites are ready to track Santa Claus and his reindeer on their journey around the world.
NORAD radars and satellites are ready to track Santa! #NORADTracksSanta #NTS24 pic.twitter.com/XPNTATj0ee
— NORAD Tracks Santa (@NoradSanta) December 24, 2024
Santa Claus is seen making last-minute prepations
09:47
Tara Cobham
Current conditions at North Pole indicate good conditions for flying
09:06
Tara Cobham
The current conditions at the North Pole indicate good weather for flying, according to Norad.
Current conditions at the North Pole indicate good weather for flying!! #NORADTracksSanta #NTS24
— NORAD Tracks Santa (@NoradSanta) December 24, 2024
Final countdown underway before Santa’s mission begins
08:45
Tara Cobham
Where will Santa’s first stop be
08:34
Tara Cobham
Santa Claus and his reindeer are set to begin their journey in less than half an hour at the International Date Line.
According to Norad, he will take in Zhangye in China before then setting off to the Pacific, New Zealand and Australia.
One hour countdown until Santa takes to the skies to begin his journey around the world
08:00
Tara Cobham
There is just one hour to go before Santa Claus takes to the skies to begin his journey around the world.
Norad has begun its one-hour countdown, with Santa’s elves seen busily doing last-minute preparations accompanied by Santa-focused Christmas music.
Where’s Santa? Here’s how to track his journey this Christmas Eve
07:25
Tara Cobham
There’s nothing more exciting on Christmas Eve than being able to see exactly where Santa Claus and his reindeer are on their one-night journey as he delivers presents across the globe.
For decades, children have been able to track the location of the red-suited man by checking in with the North American Aerospace Defence Command, also known as NORAD.
The tradition began in 1955, when a child mistakenly rang a Colorado military command asking to speak to Father Christmas after a local newspaper ran an advert by a department store containing a misprinted phone number.
My colleague Brittany Miller explains how to track Santa’s journey this Christmas Eve:
Santa braves the Amazon jungle to bring gifts to children
06:59
Tom Murray
Santa Claus braved the sticky heat of the Amazon rainforest this weekend, taking two boats to bring gifts to the children of a small village near the Brazilian city of Manaus.
The visit was arranged by Amigos do Papai Noel, a Brazilian charity that has been taking gifts to children in the Amazon rainforest for the past 26 years.
“For the children of the rivers, the people of the countryside, nothing new happens,” said Raimunda Ferrera Vieira a community leader in the village of Catalao, which received Santa on Saturday. “This here for us was a gift from God.”
More than 600 children from different villages gathered in Catalao to receive presents from Santa, who dressed in his traditional nightcap, white gloves and red suit, while enduring the stifling jungle heat.
Read more:
Why did Norad start tracking Santa?
06:00
Tom Murray
The tradition began in 1955, when a child mistakenly rang a Colorado military command asking to speak to Father Christmas – after a local newspaper ran an advert by a department store containing a misprinted phone number.
Air Force Commander Harry Shoup, who was manning the phones that Christmas Eve, quickly realised the mistake and assured the child that he was in fact Santa Claus.
As more calls came in that night, Commander Shoup assigned a duty officer to continue answering the phone, birthing a tradition that passed over to Norad when it was formed in 1958.
Every year since, the agency — which defends and monitors the skies over North America — has fielded children’s questions about the red-and-white-clad chimney intruder and his unrivaled delivery schedule.
How can Santa travel the world within 24 hours?
05:02
Tom Murray
According to Norad, the “only logical conclusion” as to how Santa is able to traverse the globe in one night is that he “somehow functions within his own time-space continuum.”
“NORAD intelligence reports indicate that Santa does not experience time the way we do. His trip seems to take 24 hours to us, but to Santa, it might last days, weeks, or even months,” the agency stated.
Watch: Why this tale of a Japanese toilet attendant could save your Christmas
04:01
Tom Murray
What route does Santa take?
03:03
Tom Murray
Santa usually starts at the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean and travels west.
So, historically, Santa visits the South Pacific first, then New Zealand and Australia. After that, he shoots up to Japan, over to Asia, across to Africa, then onto Western Europe, Canada, the United States, Mexico and Central and South America.
“Keep in mind, Santa’s route can be affected by weather, so it’s really unpredictable,” Norad states on its website.
When will Santa arrive at my house?
02:01
Tom Murray
“NORAD tracks Santa, but only Santa knows his route,” the military organization’s website states, “which means we cannot predict where and when he will arrive at your house. We do, however, know from history that it appears he arrives only when children are asleep! In most countries, it seems Santa arrives between 9:00 p.m. and midnight on December 24th. If children are still awake when Santa arrives, he moves on to other houses. He returns later, but only when the children are asleep!”
Watch: Santa arrives by boat to deliver presents to children in Brazil's Amazon
01:00
Tom Murray
Is the NORAD Santa tracker safe from a government shutdown?
00:02
The Associated Press
The military’s tradition of tracking Santa Claus on his gravity-defying sweep across the globe will carry on this Christmas Eve, even if the U.S. government shuts down, officials said Friday.
“We fully expect for Santa to take flight on Dec. 24 and NORAD will track him,” the U.S.-Canadian agency said in a statement.
On any other night, NORAD is scanning the heavens for potential threats, such as last year’s Chinese spy balloon. But on Christmas Eve, volunteers in Colorado Springs, Colorado, are fielding questions like, “When is Santa coming to my house?” and, “Am I on the naughty or nice list?”
The endeavor is supported by local and corporate sponsors, who also help shield the tradition from Washington dysfunction.
Read more:
How to track Santa’s journey with Norad
Monday 23 December 2024 23:01
Tom Murray
NORAD has an online tracker for children to watch Santa travel across the world in real-time. This year’s website launched on December 1, and it currently shows a village in the North Pole and a countdown to Christmas Eve.
The website will display Santa’s location from 4 a.m. ET on Christmas Eve to 2 a.m. on Christmas Day.
Families can also download NORAD’s Santa Tracker app on both the Apple app store and Google Play store. Those who are interested in calling NORAD can use the phone number 1-877-HI-NORAD (1-877-446-6723) on December 24 from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Christmas Day ET.
Google will also have its own version of a Santa tracker that will go live on December 24. Similar to NORAD’s tracker, Google has a countdown timer to Christmas Eve and various games available to play before Santa’s map goes live.
Read more:
Welcome to The Independent’s Santa tracker live blog!
Monday 23 December 2024 22:37
Tom Murray
Hello and Happy Christmas! Santa Claus is finally coming to town and we’re ready to watch his journey live as the North American Aerospace Defense Command (Norad) once again tracks him on his way around the globe.
It’s T-minus 10 hours until he sets off, so get ready, put some Christmas tunes on and prepare for his departure with us.
