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Norad Santa tracker LIVE: Follow Santa Claus as he delivers Christmas gifts on start of global journey | The Independent
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Norad Santa tracker – LIVE: Follow Santa Claus as he delivers Christmas gifts on start of global journey
He’s made his list, he’s checked it twice – join us on Father Christmas’s journey around the world
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Santa Clausand his reindeerhave begun their journey around the globe, with billions of stops to make in less than 24 hours.
Father Christmasis currently steering his sleigh through the Pacific, having already delivered hundreds of millions of gifts.
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 SantaClaus.
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 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.
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Volunteers are busy taking calls via the Norad Tracks Santa hotline
Volunteers are busy taking calls via the Norad Tracks Santa hotline.
They typically answer more than 130,000 calls from children across the globe.
You can call them at 1-877-446-6723
Last seen in New Caledonia and heading for Vanuatu
Father Christmas was last seen in New Caledonia.
Father Christmas is now heading for Vanuatu, where he will be delivering gifts in just a few seconds (Norad)
Watch Live: Norad tracks Santa’s annual journey delivering presents around the world
Watch live as Santa Claus begins his yearly lap around the world, being pulled by his nine reindeerto deliver presents to children across the globe:
Norad tracks Santa’s annual journey delivering presents around the worldWatch live as Santa Claus begins his yearly lap around the world, being pulled by his nine reindeer to deliver presents to children across the globe.
And on to Fiji where it is comparatively balmy
Santa and his sleigh is now heading to Fiji.
Father Christmas is now on his way to Antarctica.
His first stop there will be McMurdo Station, where it is a chilly -7C.
Santa has been busy, having already delivered more than 300 million gifts to children eagerly awaiting his arrival.
He is currently steering his sleigh through the Pacific, with his next stop being Chatham Island, New Zealand.
Father Christmas now heads for New Zealand where it is already Christmas Day
Father Christmas and his sleigh is now headed for New Zealand.
Their first stop there will be Auckland, where it is nearing 1am on Christmas Day.
Santa was just spotted in Samoa
Santa Claus was just spotted in Samoa.
He and his reindeer made a stop in Taga, as they have already delivered almost 250 million gifts.
Santa Claus was just spotted in Samoa (Norad)
Santa leaves Russia for next stop — the Pacific Islands
Santa has left Russia.
He will soon make it to Wake Island, US Minor Outlying Islands.
What is the time in Russia where Santa is currently delivering gifts
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).
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