Santa by the numbers: 10 fun facts about his magical Christmas Eve journey

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Here are some facts to stretch your littlest ones’ minds this holiday.
Table of Contents
- 1. Santa drinks 5 million gallons of milk on Christmas Eve
- 2. His sleigh travels at 1,800 miles per second
- 3. Santa has official government flight licenses
- 4. Santa and Mrs. Claus hold Canadian passports
- 5. Santa goes by many different names around the world
- 6. Santa Claus Village in Finland is considered his hometown
- 7. NORAD tracks Santa’s trip every Christmas Eve
- 8. Santa is 1,754 years old as of 2024
- 9. Santa’s suit magically repels soot, crumbs, and reindeer glitter
- 10. His toy sack expands with North Pole magic to fit every gift
It’s the final countdown for the man in the red suit and his magical reindeer. And in case your kids have ALL the questions about the man behind that famous white beard, and his elaborate process for spreading joy and cheer, here’s a collection of fun stats about Santa you can share with them as he checks his list for the last time this year!
1. Santa drinks 5 million gallons of milk on Christmas Eve
According to the Dairy Herd Management, Santa will drink more than 688 million ounces or 5 million gallons of milk as he makes his way across the country on December 24. Whether it’s whole milk, 2%, eggnog, or chocolate milk, Santa sure knows how to enjoy the best of the season!
2. His sleigh travels at 1,800 miles per second
In order to travel the entire world in a night, Santa’s sleigh has to go extremely fast–1,800 miles per second fast!
Related: Not going anywhere on Christmas Day is the best gift I ever gave myself as a mom
3. Santa has official government flight licenses
Santa has special licenses from the U.S. government to fly, including a commercial space license from the FAA to fly to space to drop off presents at the International Space Station. He received it in 2020. He’s also proudly held his aeroplane license since 1927.
4. Santa and Mrs. Claus hold Canadian passports
Santa and his wife, Mrs. Claus, both have Canadian passports. They were granted them in 2013, and according to Canadians, that means he’s a Canadian citizen.
Related: Santa Claus goes viral for his reaction when a little girl didn’t want to sit on his lap
5. Santa goes by many different names around the world
Santa has many names. While he’s known as Santa Claus or sometimes Kris Kringle in the United States, other countries call him by a different moniker. In the UK, he is known as Father Christmas. France calls him Père Noël which translates to Father Christmas. Poland identifies him as St. Nicolas, and Germany gives him the longest name of Weihnachtsmann, which means “Christmas Man.”
6. Santa Claus Village in Finland is considered his hometown
The stories of Santa often mention the North Pole as his home, but there’s actually a Santa Claus Village in Finland that is said to have been built close to Santa’s hometown in Lapland, Finland.
Related: Say buh-bye to beige this holiday season, because TikTok says ‘minimalist Christmas’ is out
7. NORAD tracks Santa’s trip every Christmas Eve
Santa’s travels are tracked on Christmas Eve night by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and have been since 1955. You too can track Santa through NORAD’s app or online — it’ll give you the heads up of when you should be fast asleep!
8. Santa is 1,754 years old as of 2024
Santa appears to be ageless but as of 2024, he is 1,754 years, 0 months, 17 days, 17 hours and 48 minutes old, according to his recent response. His birthday is actually March 15–many, many cookies ago.
Related: Christmas magic is still important no matter how old your kids are
9. Santa’s suit magically repels soot, crumbs, and reindeer glitter
With all that chimney-hopping and cookie-crumb chaos, you’d think Santa’s suit would need a mid-route wash. But according to the elves, his iconic red outfit is woven with a special North Pole fabric that repels soot, crumbs, and even reindeer glitter. (Honestly? We need this for our kids’ winter coats.)
10. His toy sack expands with North Pole magic to fit every gift
Santa’s toy sack may look small, but it’s enchanted with a little old-school North Pole technology called “present expansion magic.” That means it can stretch to hold gifts for every child on Earth—plus all the extras for last-minute additions to the Nice List. Talk about an over-packer’s dream bag.
Whether your kids are curious about Santa’s speed, his milk intake, or his magical accessories, these fun facts make the countdown to Christmas even more exciting.
Related: 10 Christmas crafts for kids that’ll keep little hands busy this season
A version of this post was originally published on Dec. 24, 2023. It has been updated.




















































































