NORAD Santa tracker 2021 LIVE – Where is Father Christmas now? Latest updates
- Will it snow in the UK and what are the odds?
- How many reindeer does Santa have?
IT'S time to get excited because Santa Claus is currently on his way to YOUR town.
That's right, kids - the big man has recently visited Ontario, New York, Massachusetts, Connecticut and Vermont on his journey around the world delivering presents to all the good little boys and girls.
In fact, jolly St.Nicholas has also delivered more than 5 BILLION gifts - and there are an estimated nine million people tracking his movements around the world.
Father Christmas and his reindeer crew all received negative lateral flow tests, so even Prime Minister Boris Johnson couldn't make them work from home this year.
Follow our Santa tracker below for the latest updates on exactly where in the world he is RIGHT NOW...
Google’s Santa Selfie
This might be the best game!
You can make Santa look really cool by giving him a haircut and even spraying his hair with green, blue or red hair dye.
You’ll want to make him look presentable and smart as he’s got a big job ahead of him tomorrow.
What to do on Google’s Santa tracker?
While you wait, you can check out the village and play games like ‘Yule Log’, ‘Out Like a Light’ and ‘Elf Maker’.
They’re all super fun!
Where is Lapland?
Lapland is actually part of Finland and is not near the North Pole.
It is however close to the Arctic Circle.
Temperatures in Lapland can drop below -30˚ Celsius in the winter, although don’t worry about visiting Santa as temperatures are normally between -15 and 0˚C in winter.
As the North Pole is so inaccessible Santa sets up an official village in Rovaniemi, Lapland, known as “Santa’s official North Pole residence”.
How many people tracked Santa?
You weren't the only one trying to find Santa on his journey across the night and this morning.
Typically, the receives nearly nine million visitors from over 200 countries and territories across world.
Looks like there were so many people who were keen to follow Santa on his journey this Christmas!
Who is Mrs Claus?
Mrs Claus stepped into the spotlight in 1849 and has been by Santa’s side ever since.
Like her husband she goes by many different names, but it’s believed her name is Jessica.
But other names include Mary Christmas, Gertrude and Carol.
Rudolph is the most popular reindeer
Santa’s guiding light, Rudolph joined after the original 8.
He is a shy reindeer and at first was very self-conscious about himself and his red nose which many used to make fun of.
It wasn’t until Santa recognised his shiny bulb of a nose as a gift in order to light the way lead them through snowy conditions.
He loves to play hide and seek too, when he’s not working, although he does have an advantage against the other reindeer as he can light up dark spots in order to find his friends.
Why do we put out mince pies and carrots for Santa?
Many families across the UK left a few treats out on Christmas Eve for Santa and his reindeer to enjoy when they stop by.
Some will also left a glass of milk out, others some cookies, even a festive candy cane.
The reason behind this is that there is a general tradition of leaving stuff out dates back to the feast day of Saint Nicholas, which is actually on 6 December.
Children would leave food and drink out for the saint and family would exchange them for gifts overnight – which we now do with modern Christmas celebrations.
Google's elf decorator
The Elf Maker is such a cool game!
You can start from scratch and make your own elf.
From picking out the colour of his outfit to his hair and glasses, you can make your elf whatever you'd like him to be.
Santa's home now
Santa may be home now, but that doesn't mean you still can't chill with him.
You can head over to the and play lots of games in the village.
You can play with Ollie under the sea or make your own elf.
How to write to Santa?
The deadline for writing to Santa is over for 2020, but the address he gave out was for “Reindeerland”.
Your kids can write to Santa (and get a reply) – just be sure to add a stamp and your return address.
You can now write to Santa for the Christmas of 2022, and this is the address:
Santa/Father Christmas,
Santa’s Grotto,
Reindeerland,
XM4 5HQ
Where did Santa begin his journey?
Santa typically begins his journey at the International Date Line, halfway around the world from London.
That means for us in the UK, Santa will started delivering presents at noon on Christmas Eve.
Then then travel to South Pacific islands, followed by New Zealand, then Australia, Japan, over to Asia and across Africa.
After that he’ll continue to Canada, the USA, Mexico, and Central and South America.
Did you see Santa?
Santa dished out all his gifts and filled up on mince pies, cookies, milk and whisky along the way.
He had help from his reindeer; Rudolph, Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner and Blitzen to make the journey around the world to deliver all the presents.
He's now back in the North Pole, relaxing until he needs to make the journey again next year.
Santa's cold but quiet afternoon
After delivering all those presents, Santa is due a quiet afternoon with his feet up!
However, it's really cold in Lapland so let's hope he left the heating on...
Here's how many present's he's delivered
Santa and his reindeer's have certainly been busy all night.
But it's also a big thanks to his elves who have been working so hard to prepare and wrap the gifts.
They've managed to deliver exactly 7,623,693,263 gifts this year!
What a job.
Does Father Christmas live in the North Pole?
No one can be completely sure of his permanent address.
But some people argue that he lives in the North Pole and others Lapland. Perhaps he has a home in both?
The most popular belief is that he lives in the North Pole, but many lucky children have travelled to Korvatunturi in Lapland to meet the real Father Christmas.
HE'S DONE IT!
Santa's now at the North Pole, which means he's completed his journey for the year!
A big pat on the back for him and his reindeer's.
We think he's now going to have a well deserved sit down & a glass of milk for all his hard work.
Where is the North Pole?
The North Pole doesn’t belong to any nation – helping the secrecy surrounding Santa and his workshop.
The North Pole is actually the northernmost point on Earth and is located in the middle of the Arctic Ocean.
There is no land there – just lots of ice.
Longyearbyen in Norway is around 650 miles from the North Pole, making it the nearest town to it.
To... the NORTH POLE!
In 13 minutes, Santa will be at the North Pole!
His reindeer's have done such a terrific job getting him around the world.
Santa's going to some islands
He's on his way to Minor Outlying Islands in the US, particularly Midway Atoll.
He's due to be there any minute now!
Santa still in the USA
He's making his steady way around the USA, so be sure to catch a glimpse of him if you can.
Keep following our blog for all the latest on where Santa is
Heading for Hawaii
It's getting hotter for Santa as he's going to be heading off to Princeville, Kauai, Hawaii in about 18 minutes.
He may need to take off a layer as it's pretty warm over there!
Santa's doing a long journey today
He's now currently over the Pacific Ocean and will cross it in about eight minutes.
We wonder where he's heading off to next...
Where's Santa heading for now?
Santa is still in the United States, around Alaska.
He's now heading for a town called Kodiak and will be there in less than 10 minutes!
What are the names of Santa’s reindeer
Santa originally had eight reindeer and it was until 1939 that Rudolph came into the scene to make nine.
The little reindeer's helping Santa make his journey are called:
- Dasher
- Prancer
- Vixen
- Comet
- Cupid
- Donner
- Blitzen
- Rudolph
Where is Santa now?
It looks like Santa is making his way around the United States of America!
He's currently heading for Fairbanks, Alaska.
He reckons he'll be there in just about seven minutes... so keep your eyes out!