Before Santa’s sleigh ever streaks across the night sky, his journey begins in the stillness of the North Pole. It’s his home base, the heart of Christmas magic, where the elves send him off with final cheers, the reindeer paw at the snow in excitement, and the aurora shimmers overhead like a curtain rising on the world’s biggest holiday performance.
Once he lifts off, Santa doesn’t just travel—he chases time itself. Because Christmas arrives at different moments around the world, he follows the path of midnight as it moves westward across the globe. His first stops are tiny islands scattered across the South Pacific, where Christmas arrives earlier than almost anywhere else. From there, he sweeps into New Zealand and Australia, gliding over coastlines, deserts, and glowing cities.
As the night deepens, he continues into Asia, weaving through bustling metropolises and quiet mountain villages. Then he crosses into Europe, where ancient towns, snowy forests, and twinkling markets greet him. Finally, he reaches the Americas, racing down through Canada, the United States, Central America, and South America, delivering gifts as each region’s clock strikes midnight.
By the time dawn begins to rise somewhere in the world, Santa has traced a full circle around the planet—guided by time zones, powered by magic, and fueled by the joy of millions of sleeping children.