CHRISTMAS is upon us – and Santa is making his way around the world to dish out pressies.
If you want to follow his merry journey across the night sky, there are some brilliantly fun ways to do it.
You might struggle to spot Santa and his reindeer with your own eyes.
But you can chart his gift-giving journey through the power of technology.
Of course, you’ll want to make sure that you’re tucked up in bed when Father Christmas pays a visit to your own home.
But you might sleep easier knowing that he’s already on his way and is dropping off gifts.
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WHEN DOES SANTA START DELIVERING GIFTS?
Santa lives at the North Pole, but his Christmas journey takes him to almost every corner of the Earth.
By most accounts, Santa begins his journey at the International Date Line, which is halfway around the world from London.
So Brits will be glad to know that Santa has already started handing out presents as early as noon on Christmas Eve.
And if you’re a New Yorker, Santa kicks off proceedings at 9am on Christmas Eve – but he won’t make it to you until after bedtime.
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From his start point, Santa will then make his way to the South Pacific Islands, according to Norad.
Then he’ll move on to New Zealand and Australia, up into Japan and across Asia, all through Africa, and then on to Western Europe.
And after all that, he’ll head across to the Americas to hand out even more pressies.
By noon on Christmas Day in London, Santa should have travelled all across the world.
HOW TO TRACK SANTA IN 2025
There are a few different ways to track Santa.
Norad Santa Tracker
This is arguably the most famous way to track Father Christmas.
In fact, Norad – the North American Aerospace Defence Command – has been tracking Santa since 1955.
So this is the 70th anniversary for the service.
It reportedly began when a child accidentally called after seeing an ad in a newspaper that told kids to ring Santa.
Then-boss Colonel Harry Shoup reportedly answered the phone and then told staff to check the radar for signs of Santa making his way south from the North Pole.
You can view the official Norad Santa Tracker here.
And You can also download the Norad Santa Tracker as an app on iPhone and Android here:
So you you can follow Santa’s movements across the night sky.
Google Santa Tracker
Another very popular option is the official Google Santa Tracker.
Google runs a countdown each year right up until when the tracker goes live on Christmas Eve as Santa starts delivering presents.
But if you want to have some fun beyond just tracking Father Christmas, Google has packed its website with loads of festive games.
Here’s a list of some of the Christmas games and experiences available this year:
- Out Like A Light
- Yule Log
- Penguin Proof
- Santa Selfie
- Elf Maker
- Ollie Under The Sea
- Code Lab
- Gumball Tilt
- Railroad Ride
- Present Bounce
- Build & Bolt
- Snowball Storm
- Holiday Traditions
- Translations
- Present Drop
- Quick Draw
- Santa’s Canvas
- Snowbox
- Elf Jetpack
- Santa Search
- Penguin Dash
- Elf Ski
- Season of Giving
- Rudolph Racer
- Code Boogie
- Elf Jamband
- Wrap Battle
- Map Quiz
- Elf Glider
- Reindeer Runner
They’re all free to play and will help to get the whole family in the Christmas spirit.
And you can play them all year round.
