Santa Claus talks about his journey to bring presents to kids around the world
(NewsNation Now) — Wondering when Santa Claus is going to arrive this year? Have no fear, NORAD is once again tracking Santa's journey around the world with their official Santa Tracker.
The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has been using satellite technology to see where Santa and his reindeer are in the sky for 65 years.
What is Santa's route?
According to NORAD, Santa usually starts at the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean and travels west towards New Zealand and Australia. Then, Santa makes his way across Asia, Africa and Europe before flying across the ocean to the United States.
NORAD noted that Santa’s route can be affected by the weather, so his route can sometimes change course.
NORAD coordinates with Santa’s elf staff to confirm his launch time. But once he is up in the air, "Santa calls the shots,” the organization said. “We just track him!”
When will he arrive?
“NORAD tracks Santa, but only Santa knows his route, which means we cannot predict where and when he will arrive at your house,” NORAD said.
NORAD did note that previous data shows he seems to arrive between 9 p.m. and midnight on Dec. 24 – but only if you’re asleep.
How does he do it?
Santa's reindeers don't travel at the speed of light but NORAD does seem to have all the details on his sleigh. Intelligence reports say that Santa does not experience time the same way that the rest of us do.
“His trip seems to take 24 hours to us, but to Santa it might last days, weeks or even months. Santa would not want to rush the important job of delivering presents to children and spreading joy to everyone, so the only logical conclusion is that Santa somehow functions within his own time-space continuum,” NORAD said.
What about coronavirus restrictions?
Don't worry, Dr. Anthony Fauci has Santa covered. Fauci said during a "Sesame Street" town hall with CNN that he personally traveled to the North Pole to give Santa the coronavirus vaccine. Mr. Clause is an essential worker after all.
NewsNation affiliate WTAJ contributed to this report.