Santa has officially taken off and you can track where he is in the sky right now

Mr Claus is on his way

Santa has officially clocked in for his annual shift, spreading joy to children across the globe. For those on the Nice List, tomorrow promises gifts under the tree and stuffed stockings. And for the tech-savvy among us, the magic is trackable, thanks to NORAD (North American Aerospace Defense Command), which monitors Santa’s sleigh journey.

This tradition began in 1955 when a child accidentally dialed NORAD (then CONAD), mistaking it for Santa’s direct line. Since then, NORAD has faithfully tracked Santa for 69 years, making 2024 another milestone.

Santa set off at 9 AM GMT, reaching the children of Kiribati first, the earliest nation to welcome Christmas. His sleigh specifications are impressive: 75 candy canes long, 40 wide, and 55 high. It begins its run weighing 75,000 gumdrops and gains another 5,000 by the end of the night, thanks to the winter elements.

The gifts he carries are a whopping 60,000 tons, and Santa himself, weighing in at 260 lbs, reportedly gains 1,000 more after enjoying the global buffet left out for him. Traveling “faster than starlight,” Santa ensures every child on the Nice List wakes up to holiday magic. NORAD even notes he adjusts his deliveries if he senses kids are awake, waiting until everyone is sound asleep.

For centuries, Santa has brought joy without mishap—until now.

As NORAD tracked the sleigh soaring through the skies, an anomaly appeared. The radar detected not one sleigh but two. The duplicate matched every detail of Santa’s sleigh, from its candy-cane dimensions to its gumdrop weight. Confusion erupted at NORAD’s base. Was it a glitch? A decoy?

Moments later, Santa’s voice came through the live feed: “To all my believers, this is no mistake. The second sleigh carries something special: my successor. For centuries, I’ve served faithfully. But tonight, I pass the reins to a new generation.”

The world held its breath as the second sleigh pulled alongside the first, its driver revealed as none other than Mrs. Claus. “It’s time,” she said with a warm smile. “Santa’s magic belongs to us all, and I’m ready to share it.”

And with a wink and a cheer, the two sleighs took off in unison, doubling the speed and magic of Christmas forever.