Coca-Cola Christmas truck tracker 2023 — Route revealed as iconic festive tour heads to Portsmouth & Leeds tomorrow
THE COCA-COLA Christmas truck is continuing its festive journey across the UK this week.
The truck will be heading for Portsmouth and Leeds on Saturday.
As with the other dates, the upcoming destinations will be free to attend all the stops apart from those in Belfast and Dublin, where visitors will need to book tickets in advance from Eventbrite.
Coca-Cola has teamed up with the Neighbourly Foundation, a charity which supports local communities.
Read our Coca-Cola Christmas truck tracker live blog below for the latest updates...
What are the names of Santa’s reindeer?
Santa originally had eight reindeer.
But in 1939 Rudolph came onto the scene to make nine.
The little reindeer helping Santa make his journey are called:
- Dasher
- Dancer
- Prancer
- Vixen
- Comet
- Cupid
- Donner
- Blitzen
- Rudolph
Did Coca-Cola invent Santa’s famous red suit?
Santa has been featured in Coke adverts since the 1920s with a jolly fat man in a red coat.
And although many people believe Coca-Cola were the one to dress Santa in red, that iconic outfit dates back much further, many historians believe the colours were inspired by the Bishop of Myra in the 4th Century.
Father Christmas in his red robes dates back as far as 16th century in England during the reign of Henry VIII (though he occasionally wore green). But across the world Santa had been depicted as everything from a tall thin man to a tiny elf man.
Why do we put out mince pies and carrots for Santa?
Many families across the UK will be leaving a few treats out on Christmas Eve for Santa and his reindeer to enjoy when they stop by.
Some will also leave a glass of milk out, others some cookies, and even a festive candy cane is an option.
There is a general tradition of leaving stuff out that 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.
Christmas wasn't always on the 25th of December
Christmas commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, but the precise day has been lost to history as reported by .
The Bible makes no reference to December 25 and many historians agree that Jesus was most likely born in the spring.
According to some historians, the date was initially picked because it was on the same day as the paganism festival of Saturnalia, which celebrated and gave gifts to the agricultural deity Saturn.
When should you put your Christmas tree up?
The experts at Christmas Tree World have given their take at when to put up your Christmas tree.
They explained that traditional Advent begins on the fourth Sunday before Christmas.
This means the ideal date can be anywhere from November 27 to December 3.
As it happens, this year it’s Sunday December 3, so you can spend your weekend decking the halls.
When Christmas was cancelled
A wave of ecclesiastical reform at the beginning of the 17th century altered how Christmas was observed in Europe, per the .
Christmas was cancelled as part of Oliver Cromwell and his Puritan armies’ campaign to purge England of decadence after seizing power in 1645.
Charles II was reinstated to the throne in response to popular demand, and the well-liked festival followed.
The English separatists known as the pilgrims, who immigrated to America in 1620, were even more orthodox Puritans than Cromwell.
What is Santa’s name?
Mr Claus goes by many names in many lands, what do you call him?
Father Christmas – Father Christmas, as he is known in the UK, was inspired to spread the magic of Christmas by St. Nikolas of Myra.
Santa Claus – The popular name for Father Christmas comes from the Dutch “Sinter Klaas”.
St Nicholas – We are, of course, talking about St Nick here.
Kris Kringle – This is an Americanised version of the Austrian Christkind, meaning Christ-child.
‘More exciting elements added’
Florence Wheatley, Brand Manager at Coca-Cola Company, Great Britain, said: “Coca-Cola has been spreading Christmas cheer for decades and, this year, we’ve added even more exciting elements to make it as magical and merry as possible.
“Alongside the beloved return of the Truck Tour nationwide and the much loved ‘Holidays Are Coming’ advert, we have introduced new elements like the ‘World Needs More Santas’ TVC and an interactive Santa Quiz.
“We’re also thrilled to extend our partnership with Neighbourly, emphasising spreading kindness and making a positive impact across the UK.
“Together, we want to inspire year-round acts of goodwill and truly make a difference in all local communities.”
When was the first ‘Holidays Are Coming’ ad launched?
The Coca-Cola Christmas truck was first seen in the brand’s hugely popular 1995 advert.
The 60-second clip features the now-iconic Holidays Are Coming song, which is still synonymous with Coca-Cola to this day.
The truck began touring the US in 2001 but didn’t start visiting the UK until 2010.
Coca-Cola named as Britain’s biggest plastic polluter for fourth year in a row
Coca-Cola is Britain’s biggest plastic polluter for the fourth year running, figures show.
The soft drinks giant is responsible for a fifth of branded rubbish found in beach cleans this year.
McDonald’s and Pepsi are second and third.
The three giants created 37 per cent of brand pollution collected — down only two per cent from last year.
Surfers Against Sewage revealed the findings in a brands audit.
Is there a curse on the Coca-Cola truck?
The Coca=Cola Christmas Truck tour has been plagued with a few unfortunate events over the years, leading some to think its cursed.
Instead of spreading Christmas cheer to onlookers, residents near Bucharest, Romania, were filled with panic after spotting the Coca-Cola Christmas truck engulfed in flames.
Viral video footage showed fire ripping through the vehicle’s trailer and black smoke filling the air while it drove through the streets, in Berceni, on November 29, last year.
In 2017, Coca-Cola fans in Gainsborough, Lincolnshire, were left waiting for cold for several hours when the festive truck got lost and stuck in a field.
The Coca-Cola truck’s visit to Silverburn Shopping Centre, in Glasgow, caused outrage in November 2017 after the attraction caused a major gridlock.
Unhappy motorists claimed they felt like “prisoners” after being “trapped” in the venue’s car park for more than two hours because of high levels of traffic.
Coca-Cola was forced to apologise back in 2015 after an event at an Asda in Coryton, Wales, caused lengthy queues and gridlock traffic.
Drivers told that routes that typically took 15 minutes lasted as long as three or four hours due to the excessive amount of cars on the road.
Coca Cola Christmas Truck stopped off in Birmingham in 2014Credit: Alamy ‘Huge surprise’ from Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola had a “huge surprise waiting for Matt Smith when he finished driving their Christmas truck.
Matt said: “They set off confetti cannons and the song Holidays Are Coming was being sung by a choir.
“My stepbrother, mother and some of my friends had been invited. We all sat there drinking Coca-Cola, eating cakes and biscuits. Then they showed us the inside of the truck, which was huge.”
‘Worrying’ moment driving truck
Matt Smith has revealed a “worrying” moment he had while driving the Coca-Cola truck.
During his two hour stint driving the truck, Matt recalls a moment when his instructor was anxious he might lose control of the sizeable vehicle.
He recalled: “The driver was worried because a car was coming and I needed to steer left pretty quickly.
“Because the road was very narrow and it was a left-hand drive, he worried I wouldn’t know the right amount of space.”
Despite the weight of the vehicle, Matt insists it was “easy to drive” due to the vehicle having power-steering.
Facebook post got the ball rolling
Matt Smith, 36, was the first Brit to drive the Coca-Cola truck and it all started with a simple Facebook post.
The handyman, who has cystic fibrosis, shared his “childhood dream” to drive the festive Coca-Cola truck on social media during a troubling period when he was “very ill” in 2015.
At the time Matt needed regular two-week hospital stays due to his lung capacity being “just 18 per cent at best” - just walking up a flight of stairs left him feeling winded.
His post, which detailed his health struggles, went viral overnight and led Coca-Cola to make his “wish come true” by allowing him to drive the famous vehicle.
He wrote: “I come into hospital nearly every three months but it has never stopped me from living out my dream job, driving big trucks all across UK and Europe.
“But lately I have had to really reduce the amount of hours a week I drive due to my health slowly declining… I would love to, however, before I stop driving trucks for good, spread awareness for cystic fibrosis and get a chance to drive the famous Christmas Coca-Cola trucks all around [the] UK.”
To his surprise, the following day Matt woke up the next morning to find 51,000 people had shared the post - and that figure soon doubled.
Coca-Cola got in touch and arranged a special visit to an airfield outside Oxford where he would drive the giant red truck around.
Matt, then 27, says it felt like 'the whole airfield lit up' when he turned on the truck's lightsCredit: Adrian Brooks/Imagewise I was the first Brit to drive the Coca-Cola truck
Matt Smith, 36, from Andover, Hampshire, was the first Brit to get behind the wheel of the Coca-Cola truck.
The handyman, who has cystic fibrosis, shared his “childhood dream” to drive the festive Coca-Cola truck on social media during a troubling period when he was “very ill” in 2015.
At the time Matt needed regular two-week hospital stays due to his lung capacity being “just 18 per cent at best” - just walking up a flight of stairs left him feeling winded.
His post, which detailed his health struggles, went viral overnight and led Coca-Cola to make his “wish come true” by allowing him to drive the famous vehicle.
Thrilled Matt was told he was the first member of the public to do so, and to this day "can't believe it happened".
Matt Smith became the first Brit to drive the iconic Coca-Cola Christmas truck in 2015Credit: Adrian Brooks/Imagewise
Parents angry over Pro-Palestine demo
Parents were left fuming yesterday as while they queued up to see the Coca-Cola truck they were faced with a free Palestine demo.
The lone protestor stood at the entrance with a flag draped across his shoulders, alternating between placards at the White Rose Shopping Centre, Leeds.
Mum-of-four Sarah Gilmour, 38, visited the Coca Cola truck, and was delighted her youngest two children, aged nine and seven, were in school at the time.
She said: "I enjoyed the truck, but seeing him there protesting is completely off putting. It’s disgusting.
“If I’d come here with my two little girls I would have been fuming.
“The fact they are allowing that man to stand there with that sign with children around is disgusting.
"There are police and security around and they are allowing him to stand there when children are around."
A protester named Ali stood at the entrance and held up different pro-Palestine signsCredit: NB PRESS LTD Fans disappointed over queues
Families on a fun day out to see the Coca-Cola truck were left disappointed having to wait hours.
Dad David Gilmour, 60, said he was "underwhelmed" by the Coca Cola truck, which parked up near the White Rose Shopping Centre, Leeds.
He told The Sun: “We were expecting so much more after an hour’s wait.”
Jo Stockwell, 46, and her daughter Kelsie, 17, took advantage of the free festive event, too.
Jo said: "We had to queue for about an hour, but it was all free, so you can’t complain.
“I heard about the Coca Cola truck coming here on Facebook, so we thought we’d come down.
“The queuing wasn’t enjoyable and my feet are numb, but when we got in there it was good fun.
“I’ve got snow from the snow globe in my hair, and it’ll be in my knickers and everywhere.”
Families who went along to the Coca Cola truck in Leeds have expressed their disappointmentCredit: NB PRESS LTD Where did the tour stop off in 2022?
In 2022, the tour stopped at the following locations:
- Kent
- Beckton
- Glasgow
- London
- Manchester
- Bristol
- Bradford
- Cardiff
- Leeds
- Wolverhampton
- Coventry
- Sheffield
- Leeds
- Watford
- Baldock
- East Leake
- Edinburgh
Coca-Cola's festive surprise
Coca-Cola brought festive magic on 1,000 lucky youngsters from Belfast and Dublin with its Real Magic Experience on Friday.
Packed with thrilling rides, scrumptious food and exciting games offering the chance to bag massive prizes, the Real Magic experience provided a yuletide extravaganza.
When was the first ‘Holidays Are Coming’ ad launched?
The Coca-Cola Christmas truck was first seen in the brand’s hugely popular 1995 advert.
The 60-second clip features the now-iconic Holidays Are Coming song, which is still synonymous with Coca-Cola to this day.
The truck began touring the US in 2001 but didn’t start visiting the UK until 2010.
Why are Coca-Cola cans red?
There’s a fascinating reason behind the scarlet branding that defines the fizzy drink – and it’s all about taxes.
It’s not, as many believe, tied to the famous Coca-Cola ads which saw Santa sporting a red coat for the first time.
It goes back much further than that, to the mid 1890s, when the drink was served out of barrels in US drug stores.
At the time alcohol was taxed while soft drinks were not so the Coca-Cola Company began painting its barrels red so that customs officials and tax officials could tell them apart from barrels of booze.
The colour then became the company’s signature shade and the company even named its first magazine The Red Barrel, in 1924.
Ten films to watch this Christmas
Here is a list of some great films to watch this festive season.
- It’s a Wonderful Life
- Elf
- Home Alone
- A Christmas Carol
- Die Hard
- Batman Returns
- Love Actually
- Polar Express
- The Harry Potter franchise
- Santa Claus
Over 49k Christmas songs exist in our time
There are over 49,000 Christmas songs in existence worldwide, according to Blokur, a music rights administration.
These include everything from Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas is You to Jingle Bells.
The London-based music technology company apparently examined tens of millions of musical compositions to determine whether songs referenced or had Christmas in the title.
‘More exciting elements added’
Florence Wheatley, Brand Manager at Coca-Cola Company, Great Britain, said: “Coca-Cola has been spreading Christmas cheer for decades and, this year, we’ve added even more exciting elements to make it as magical and merry as possible.
“Alongside the beloved return of the Truck Tour nationwide and the much loved ‘Holidays Are Coming’ advert, we have introduced new elements like the ‘World Needs More Santas’ TVC and an interactive Santa Quiz.
“We’re also thrilled to extend our partnership with Neighbourly, emphasising spreading kindness and making a positive impact across the UK.
“Together, we want to inspire year-round acts of goodwill and truly make a difference in all local communities.”
Neighbourly aiming for the collab to bring a ‘positive impact’
Steve Butterworth, CEO at Neighbourly, said: “We’re excited to join forces with Coca-Cola over the festive period.
“The Christmas Truck Tour is a fantastic way to increase awareness of Neighbourly’s mission to help businesses build stronger communities. The partnership with Coca-Cola is about more than just festivities; it’s about making a real difference.
“By connecting businesses with local causes, we aim to create a positive impact that lasts beyond the holiday season.
“We hope people can visit the Coca-Cola Truck Tour this Christmas and discover how they can be a force for good in their community.”