Today, that tradition is bigger than ever. According to The Independent, more than 100,000 children call NORAD each year to ask about Santa’s whereabouts, while millions more follow his progress online in nine different languages as he “swoops along the earth’s meridians”.

Thanks to the program, about 20,000 kids in the Colton, Fontana, Redlands, Rialto, San Bernardino and Yucaipa-Calimesa school districts will have a better Christmas this season. In 2024, Santa Claus, Inc. handed out presents to 20,126 children from 6,467 families, DiCarlo said.

They don the role of Santa Claus in shopping malls, at Christmas markets or via video calls for private customers. Few people rush to apply for this job, which sometimes involves difficult working conditions,