According to NORAD's official Santa tracker, Santa Claus begins his,annual journey from the North Pole by visiting the Republic of Kiribati in the central Pacific Ocean. As Kiribati lies just west of the International Date Line, its Christmas Island is one of the first places to experience Christmas Day.
The origins of Sinterklaas can be found in the stories of St Nicholas, a 4th-century Greek bishop from Myra, now in modern-day Turkey. St Nicholas was credited with a wide variety of miracles. According to one story, he resurrected three youths after they'd been murdered and pickled in a barrel by an innkeeper.
In addition to the map on NORAD's website, updates are posted on the agency's Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube pages. Santa's route began by taking him down the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean. He moved westward from there, with his first stops being in the South Pacific, New Zealand and Australia.
Located in the Arctic Circle, the Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi is known as “Santa's official North Pole residence” and is one of the most popular travel destinations in Finland.
Santa goes to the Republic of Kiribati (Kiritimati) first, a South Pacific island nation, because it's one of the first inhabited places to experience Christmas Day due to its location just west of the International Date Line (IDL). He then travels west, hitting New Zealand, Australia, and Japan before moving across Asia, Europe, and the Americas, following the world's time zones.
I Went Undercover as Santa In the Streets of Manchester!
How old is Santa now in 2025?
In 2025, Santa Claus is considered to be around 1,750 to 1,755 years old, based on his origins from Saint Nicholas, who was born between 270 and 280 A.D., making him a timeless figure well over a millennium old, though he'd say he stopped counting at 550. NORAD also suggests he's at least 1,600 years old, cementing his legendary status.
So, historically, Santa visits the South Pacific first, then New Zealand and Australia. After that, he shoots up to Japan, over to Asia, across to Africa, then onto Western Europe, Canada, the United States, Mexico and Central and South America.
Santa Claus, based on the historical Saint Nicholas, was born around 270 AD and died on December 6, 343 AD, at about 73 years old, in what is now Turkey. He was a 4th-century Greek Christian bishop known for his generosity, with his legends forming the basis for the modern Santa figure.
Historical texts only started mentioning him over 200 years after his death. This has led people to believe that Saint Nicholas was not a real person, and though that has been debunked, the misconception still remains. So, as you can see, Santa Claus was a real person.
In the Holy Land, the Orthodox churches use the old, Julian calendar—which has a difference of 13 days with the Gregorian (or “Western” calendar in use today—to determine the date of the religious feasts. Accordingly, the Armenians celebrate Christmas on January 19th and the Greek Orthodox celebrate on January 6th.
Santa Claus's "real name" comes from Saint Nicholas, a 4th-century Greek bishop known for his generosity, with the name evolving from the Dutch "Sinterklaas" to "Santa Claus," while also being called "Father Christmas," "St. Nick," and "Kris Kringle". The modern image of Santa, a jolly, bearded man in a red suit, was shaped by a 19th-century poem and cartoons, but the foundation is the historical figure of Saint Nicholas.
Saint Nicholas was a 4th Century Greek Bishop who wore red and white robes and gave gifts to the poor, especially children. After his death, the legend of him continued and he is still celebrated in some countries on December 6th, known as St. Nicholas Day.
Although Santa and Mrs Claus almost never have children in any of their many depictions, there is at least one Christmas Burlesque musical from 1892 that features Kitty Claus, the daughter of Santa. Funnily enough, we find a few mentions of Kitty in our newspaper collection.
Santa loves his white milk and cookies, but after stopping at every child's home, give Santa Claus some flavored milk for a tasty surprise. Or switch out the milk for some holiday eggnog! Put your own twist on holiday traditions this year with your family. Happy holidays!
Santa Claus's dark history involves pagan winter figures, demonic companions like Krampus who punished naughty children with switches and sacks, and gruesome medieval tales of Saint Nicholas resurrecting murdered boys, blending grim folklore with the benevolent gift-giver to create a complex figure balancing reward and punishment. These darker elements, including the goat-like Krampus, Père Fouettard (Father Whipper), and pagan winter gods associated with darkness and death, contrast with the modern, jolly Santa but highlight his origins in older traditions.
As a renowned Christian, Saint Nicholas often provided people with many a gift. This means that the Santa Claus we know today is considered to be 1,747 years old!
Santa is generally depicted as a portly, jolly, white-bearded man, often with glasses, wearing a red outfit consisting of jacket, trousers and hat all trimmed with white fur, accessorised with black leather belt and boots, and carrying a bag full of gifts for children.
Santa Claus' origins date back to about 280 A.D. when St. Nicholas was born, the History Channel reports. This would make Santa approximately 1,744 years old today.
"There is no such thing as being too old to believe in Santa, the Easter Bunny and the Tooth Fairy," Kelman tells Yahoo Life. "Letting kids figure it out on their own is preferable to parents breaking the news to them.
Based on flight profile data gathered from over 50 years of NORAD's radar and satellite tracking, NORAD concludes that Santa probably stands about 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighs approximately 260 pounds (before cookies).
The average age children stop believing in Santa is around 8 years old. That's 8 opportunities to create magical memories, so start with their first. They may not remember it, but you always will. Christmas, for me, brings back so many of my most treasured childhood memories.
