8,231,970,628 gifts delivered by Santa across the world during his global run from South Pacific to South America this Christmas; A look at his journey

As Christmas celebrations draw to a close, Santa Claus has completed his record-breaking global run, delivering as many as 8.2 billion gifts to families across the globe. Santa, who is famous across the world for giving out toys to good girls and boys, has travelled across the world tonight, with his reindeer pulling his sleigh from Lapland.

Earlier, NORAD’s E-3 Sentry aircraft tracked Santa as he flew over the Pacific Ocean to mark the last stretch of his Christmas Eve journey. According to the NORAD Santa Tracker, the exact number of gifts dropped off this year is 8,231,970,628.

After a few more stops in the US, according to NORAD, Santa headed to the North Pole, which is considered his home. Santa has officially delivered more than eight billion gifts, setting a new record from last year. During his journey, Santa was spotted over Honolulu, Hawaii, on track toward the record‑breaking run with nearly 8 billion gifts delivered!

Santa’s route during the global run

Santa kickstarted his run from the North Pole, where he lives with Mrs. Claus and the elves who make toys and take care of his reindeer all year round. But Santa makes his deliveries in a special order.

"Santa usually starts at the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean and travels west. So, historically, Santa visits the South Pacific first, then New Zealand and Australia," NORAD said, as quoted by The Mirror.

Later, he flies up to Japan, over to Asia, across to Africa, then onto Western Europe, Canada, the United States, Mexico, and Central and South America, they said.

"Keep in mind, Santa's route can be affected by weather, so it's really unpredictable. NORAD coordinates with Santa's Elf Launch Staff to confirm his launch time, but from that point on, Santa calls the shots. We just track him!" NORAD further stated.

Santa’s source of energy

To successfully deliver billions of gifts around the world, Santa requires a plethora of energy, and that's where festive treats come into the picture.

According to The Mirror, families around the world leave out cookies, milk, mince pies, chocolate, fruit, and even carrots to help keep the group fueled for their journey.

Santa also arrived in Alaska

As Santa spent several hours in the skies and delivered over 7.7 billion gifts earlier, he also touched upon Alaska as he was on his way to the final stretch of his global run. It's typically very cold in Alaska during this time of the year.

Places like Anchorage are typically freezing during this time of the year, with average temperatures being well below freezing, and snow is also common. It is currently -14°C in the region, according to The Mirror.