Santa keeps social distancing in mind as he pops up around the world

The jolly old elf has been spotted creatively keeping up with kids.

By — Christina Barron,

You may call him Santa Claus, but kids around the world call him many things — Father Christmas, Sinterklaas and Papá Noel, just to name a few. He hasn’t been out and about as often this year, because he doesn’t want crowds of people gathering to see him during the coronavirus pandemic. But he — or perhaps one of his helpers — has been spotted during socially distant appearances around the globe in the run-up to Christmas Eve.

Arnd Wiegmann

Reuters

Samichlaus, Santa’s name in Switzerland, and sidekick Schmutzli talk with children by video at a studio in Zurich on December 4.

If you want to keep track of him on his big night, visit the NORAD Santa Tracker (
norad santa.org
), which has been keeping tabs on Kriss Kringle’s global journey for 65 years. NORAD stands for the North American Aerospace Defense Command, and its mission is to defend the skies. But one night a year, it focuses on a jolly old visitor in a reindeer-led sleigh. The Santa Tracker site has started its countdown, so get ready because Santa Claus — or whatever name you call him — is coming to town.

Koen Van Weel

Agence France-Presse/Getty Images

Sinter-Klaas, or Dutch Santa, arrives secretly in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on November 15, to limit the crowds. Sinterklaas delivers treats to Dutch children on December 6, which is St. Nicholas Day.

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