Santa Claus departs for annual mission as Christmas delivery begins

Santa Claus departed on his yearly journey around the world on Wednesday (December 24) as the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) began tracking him on his Christmas Eve gift-giving mission.

The tracking of Santa is a yearly tradition dating back to 1955, started when a child phoned the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center asking for Santa Claus.

 NORAD, a joint operation between the U.S. and Canadian militaries, is responsible for guarding the skies over North America.

Every year, their technology is trained on Santa and his reindeer as they make their journey across the globe, starting with stops in Australia and New Zealand.

Deniz Uyar/Reuters