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Santa Claus and his reindeer have set off for their biggest night of the year, with billions of stops to make around the world in less than 24 hours.
After weeks of preparation at the workshop, Father Christmas has departed west from the North Pole, and will visit the South Pacific before passing through Asia, Africa, Europe, and crossing the Atlantic to the Americas.
Every Christmas Eve, Norad – the North American Aerospace Defense Command – provides real-time tracking of Santa’s sleigh as it navigates the skies.
It is a tradition dating back to 1955, after a misprint in a department store advert led a young child to call a Colorado military command center asking to speak to Santa Claus, prompting a festive custom in which Norad answer children’s questions about Santa’s journey.
Each year, at least 100,000 kids call into the organisation 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 world.
As we watch Santa Claus travel across the globe, here’s a look at how Christmas is celebrated around the world – and the weirdest traditions.
From European towns where horned demons roam the streets to frighten passers-by, to Japan’s unlikely obsession with fried chicken on Christmas Day, no celebration looks the same.
Bryony Gooch24 December 2025 18:16
NORAD uses three different methods to track Santa.
The radar system, called the North Warning System, has 49 installations strung across Canada’s North and Alaska. NORAD makes a point of checking the radar closely for indications of Santa Claus leaving the North Pole every holiday season.
They use satellites located in a geo-synchronous orbit (meaning that the satellite is always fixed over the same spot on the Earth) at 22,300 miles above the Earth. They have infrared sensors, meaning they can see heat; when a rocket or missile is launched, a tremendous amount of heat is produced – enough for the satellites to see them.
According to NORAD, Rudolph’s red nose gives off an infrared signature similar to a missile launch, which the satellites use to detect Santa.
NORAD Santa Tracker (Public Domain)
The last system they use is the jet fighter. Canadian NORAD fighter pilots, flying the CF-18, take off out of Newfoundland and welcome Santa to North America. Then, at numerous locations in Canada, other CF-18 fighter pilots escort Santa.
While in the United States, American NORAD fighter pilots in either the F-15s, F16s or F-22s get the thrill of flying with Santa and the famous Reindeer – Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and Rudolph, according to the defence organisation.
This is despite the fact that Santa flies faster than any jet fighter – NORAD says that Santa actually slows down for them to escort him).
Bryony Gooch24 December 2025 17:30
Father Christmas has made his first stop in India as he was spotted in Gangtok, the capital of the mountainous northern Indian state of Sikkim.
It’s a fleeting trip to the seventh largest country in the world, as he’s set to go to Bhutan and then Bangladesh, but there’s no doubt he’ll be back to deliver toys to the children of India.
Bryony Gooch24 December 2025 16:45
Just over two hours after he reached the one billion gift mark, Santa has managed to double the number of presents he’s delivered
He’s racked up over two billion so far.
Not long before he delivered two billion gifts, Santa crossed back into Russia where he made a trip to Norilsk, the northernmost city in the world with over 100,000 people living there.
There are plenty of reindeer living in Siberia for Rudolph and his herd to say a fleeting hello to as they fly on through the blistering arctic conditions.
(Getty Images/iStockphoto)
After a brief trip to Siberia, they made their way back down towards Kyrgyzstan, where Christmas is celebrated by the Orthodox Christian minority on 7 January.
Bryony Gooch24 December 2025 16:39
While NORAD tracks Santa, they can’t predict where and when he will arrive at people’s houses.
Historically, it appears Father Christmas only arrives when children are asleep.
They estimate that in most countries, Santa arrives between 9pm. and midnight on Christmas Eve. If children are still awake when Santa arrives, he moves on to other houses. He returns later, but only when the children are asleep.
Santa is focussed on the long night ahead (Norad)
Bryony Gooch24 December 2025 16:30
Santa has been spotted going through Tibet and China as he makes his way across the globe.
He appears to be on a northern trajectory, heading towards Mongolia where he will again likely go through Russia.
It appears Mr Claus is taking a zig-zag approach north and south as he makes his way further west. While he’s travelling at a rapid pace, it looks like it’ll be a while before he reaches the United Kingdom.
(NORAD)
Bryony Gooch24 December 2025 16:25
To deliver gifts to nearly two billion children worldwide, Santa’s reindeer would need to consume about 30 million carrots around Christmas, researchers say.
“Santa’s reindeer aren’t going to stick to a 2,000 calorie diet to get around,” Nicole Gugliucci, assistant professor of physics at Saint Anselm College, said.
Reindeers being mainly herbivores, get about 25 calories from each carrot they eat, meaning it’ll take 29 million carrots divided among Santa’s nine reindeers to power their trip, scientists say.
So when you leave out cookies for Santa, make sure there’s also a carrot for the reindeers.
Alex Croft24 December 2025 15:59