According to official NORAD Tracks Santa data, Santa typically travels west, covering the South Pacific, New Zealand, Australia, and Asia before arriving in Europe. Immediately prior to the UK, he is often tracked through Eastern Europe, Germany, or Scandinavian countries.
Santa usually sets off early on Christmas Eve (UK time), starting near the Pacific Ocean before heading west. He delivers presents to the South Pacific islands, then visits children in New Zealand and Australia before racing on to Japan, across Asia, down through Africa, and into Western Europe.
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.
It's been officially announced by the UK's Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) that Father Christmas has been fully approved "to enter UK airspace" and that his sleigh "is safe to fly." This is great news for everyone across the country hoping they are on Mr. Claus's "nice list"!
Writing a letter to Santa this Christmas? ✉️ 🎅 Make sure you send your letters to Santa by 10 December. Don't forget to include a full name and address on the back of the envelope so Santa can reply. Send your letters to: Santa/Father Christmas Santa's Grotto Reindeerland XM4 5HQ.
The UK Air Safety List is the published list of countries and airlines that are subject to an operating ban on safety grounds and so cannot fly planes to, from or within the UK. When choosing who to fly with, we advise you to take into consideration whether an airline is: on the Air Safety List.
Countries in which Christmas is not a formal public holiday include Afghanistan, Algeria, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Bhutan, Cambodia, China (excepting Hong Kong and Macau), the Comoros, Iran, Israel, Japan, Kuwait, Laos, Libya, the Maldives, Mauritania, Mongolia, Morocco, North Korea, Oman, Qatar, the Sahrawi Republic, ...
In North America, for instance, Santa is known to arrive between 9 p.m. and midnight, and he's estimated to reach the eastern United States between 11:30 p.m. and midnight. It's crucial for children to be sound asleep during these hours because if Santa finds them awake, he might skip their house and return later.
In 2025, Santa Claus is considered to be around 1,754 to 1,755 years old, based on his origins as St. Nicholas, who was born between 260 and 280 A.D.. Different sources place his birth year slightly differently, but all suggest he is over 1,700 years old, with some estimates landing precisely at 1,754 years, 10 months, and 28 days, while others round up to 1,755 for the year.
Children in the United Kingdom leave the holiday-favorite mince pie, Swedish kids leave a special Christmas-time rice porridge, and in Germany, the gift is instead a letter to Santa.
The English folk figure "Father Christmas" originally wore green robes which eventually turned red over time. This was mainly due to St Nicholas, whose legend modern portrayals of Father Christmas are based on, often appearing in paintings and illustrations wearing red-coloured robes.
What happens if you mail a letter to Santa at the North Pole?
Letters addressed to Santa's official address are sorted, read and published on the USPS Operation Santa® website with personal information redacted. Adopters are then able to browse and select letters they love and respond with a gift and a note.
British people call him both Father Christmas (the traditional, older name) and Santa Claus (the Americanized name), with usage often depending on age, though the terms are now generally used interchangeably for the same gift-giving figure. Younger generations might lean towards "Santa," while older people often stick with "Father Christmas".
Krampus is usually featured as a man with horns with one grotesque human foot and one foot of a goat. He is typically covered in black hair and has a very long snake or dragon-like tongue. These qualities have increasingly made Krampus a character for horror costumes and films.
Japanese people eat KFC for Christmas because of a brilliant 1970s marketing campaign, "Kentucky for Christmas," that filled a cultural void, as turkey was scarce and Japan lacked established Christmas traditions; the easy-to-order fried chicken became a beloved, convenient festive meal, further cemented by Colonel Sanders' resemblance to Santa and nostalgia-inducing jingles.
Muslims don't celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday but we absolutely honor the story at the heart of it. In fact, Mariam or Mary, the mother of Jesus, is one of the most honored women in Islam. An entire chapter of the Quran is named after her.
Iceland, Japan, Vietnam, Switzerland, and Singapore are consistently ranked among the world's safest for family travel, thanks to low crime rates, clean cities, and reliable healthcare.
