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- How does Santa deliver presents all over
the world in one night?
- The answer is a combination of science and
magic. First of all, imagine where I live -- the North Pole. This is
right at the top of the world. It's like being on top of a big round
ball. Every direction from the North Pole is down or South.
- Now the Earth is divided into 24 time zones.
Remember that fact.
- Presents can only be delivered between 10 PM
on Christmas Eve and 6 AM on Christmas Morning -- that is eight hours.
- Now take seven of those hours and simply put
them in your pocket for a minute. That leaves one hour in each of 24
different time zones. Now add the seven hours from your pocket to 24
and you have 31 hours available for me to make my deliveries. That's
the science part of it.
- The rest of the answer comes from the
reindeer who fly very, very fast.
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- How do reindeer fly?
- The answer to this question is also a
combination of science and magic. Reindeer can run very fast. Even
when they are only one day old they can run faster than a grown man or
woman. Next, unlike most reindeer, my reindeer keep their antlers
until after Christmas. Most reindeer lose their antlers earlier in the
winter. It is these antlers that help the reindeer to fly, acting sort
of like an airplane wing to disturb the air so they can get off the
ground. Remember, scientists today still do not know how a Bumblebee
flies. According to all their science, Bumblebees should not be able
to fly. But they do. Well, my reindeer are like that.
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- Why don't we see your reindeer when you
visit us before Christmas?
- A number of years ago, men from the
Government came to see me. They were from the Federal Aviation Agency
(FAA) and they are responsible for the safety of all the airplanes in
the sky. These men told me there were very worried about me being hit
by an airplane because there are so many more of them now than there
used to be.
- These very nice men made two arrangements so
that I could continue to fly my sleigh safely. First they gave me a
special radio so I can contact them and tell them when and where I am
flying. Secondly, they arranged so that at every airport there is a
special secret airplane hanger reserved just for my sleigh and
reindeer. Of course, on Christmas Eve, I still fly from house to
house. The government clears the air around the town where I'm
delivering presents so I can fly safely.
- Now when I fly into a town before Christmas,
I radio ahead to let them know I'm coming. Then I land at the nearest
airport and the people there open the special hanger for me to part
the sleigh and reindeer. Someone will then volunteer to either loan me
their car or will drive me where I need to go. AND they always make a
big fuss about the reindeer -- petting them, feeding them, enjoying
them. And the reindeer really enjoy it too.
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