Officials at the North Pole, the home of the legendary Santa Claus, say the world’s most famous elf has rarely encountered a season quite like this one. After consulting with sleigh scientists, this year’s trip around the world will be similar but remain within seconds of the total flight time in 2019.
The traveling team of reindeer and elves along with Santa Claus will wear masks and carry plenty of “Santatizer”. However the additional weight on board will not be enough to slow dropping off packages and toys.
“During the Spanish Flu of 1918-1920, Santa Claus was extra careful on his deliveries,” said Odds Bodkins, head of Physics at the University of The North Pole. “He’s never late for a delivery, no matter what occurs in the world.”
St. Nicholas has approximately 31 hours to finish his work because there is an overall difference in the Earth’s rotation and time zones. He visits over 1600 homes per instant, flying at nearly 1800 miles per second which is more than 8000 times the speed of sound. Bodkins says “most reindeer can only run at 40 miles per hour, because they haven’t consumed the magic dust needed for high speed flight.”
Snow is the one ingredient that assists in Santa’s quick take-offs and landings. The reduced friction with ice or snow on the ground allows the sleigh to quickly get airborne. While not every location worldwide has snow, any additional snow will make this year’s journey easier.
“Air traffic control at the North Pole has much better technology than in year’s past. After a software upgrade, the crew can guide Santa into a strong tailwind which accelerates the overall flight time,” Bodkins said.
The sleigh is expected to depart the North Pole at around 3:00am Central Standard Time on Christmas Eve.