Now that’s a very good question! On Christmas Eve, I follow a general path that makes the most sense for time zones and sleeping children — but with a sprinkle of magic to help along the way.

I usually begin my journey in the South Pacific, starting with New Zealand where the children are among the first in the world to celebrate Christmas morning. From there, my reindeer dash across to Australia and then over to beautiful Christmas Island — one of my favorite stops, for obvious reasons!

Once those stockings are filled, we sweep north and west visiting countries across Asia. We cross over Africa then travel across Europe finishing in Finland, Sweden, and Norway. After that, it’s time to head over the vast Atlantic Ocean to Greenland followed by Canada, the United States and Mexico. We continue down through Central America and South America making sure every child is visited before the sun rises.

Finally, we loop back toward the South Pacific Islands sprinkling Christmas magic on places like Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa. My very last stop before crossing the International Date Line is American Samoa — where it’s still Christmas Eve when I arrive! After that, the reindeer and I turn the sleigh back toward the North Pole. We are tired but happy, ready for cookies, milk, and a long winter’s nap.

Now, the exact path? Well … that’s a secret between me, the reindeer, and the North Pole’s navigation elves. But I promise you—if you’re tucked in and fast asleep, I’ll find my way to your house every single time.

It’s a big beautiful world but with a little planning and a lot of magic, we make it to every home—right on time.