On a mission ...

Kris Kringle is busy packing up for his annual whirlwind trip around the world

NATALIE B. COMPTON and TAYLOR TURNER

Kris Kringle. Saint Nicholas. Pelznickel. Whatever you call him, Santa Claus has an incredible travel job to take on every Christmas Eve.

Not only does the man of the hour have to wrangle flying reindeer and deliver gifts around the entire world, he also has to do it all in one night.

But the huge task isn’t a source of stress for Santa. He says it’s a lifelong joy.

“I couldn’t imagine life not being Santa Claus,” says Santa, who discovered his life’s purpose at the age of three, he says, when he gave his first toy to a child in need.

Many, many years later, Santa is still as jolly as ever. We wanted to find out everything Santa takes along with him on his biggest night of the year, so we sat down with St. Nick (really, we did) for an interview about his packing rituals.

This is what he doesn’t leave the North Pole without on Christmas Eve ...

A SPARE PAIR OF GLOVES

Santa told us he packs a pair of gloves, but not because he’s worried about chilly hands on Christmas Eve. The gloves are a special touch to keep things tidy as he passes through homes. No smudges left behind from fingerprints here.

BRUSH

According to Santa, he spends about 30 seconds per house dropping off gifts and regrouping (OK, yes, also eating cookies and drinking some milk). That doesn’t sound like a lot of time to do much of anything, but Santa still makes time to ensure his beard is looking great by packing a brush in his travel kit.

While Santa’s reindeer do get some credit for pulling off the greatest sleigh ride of all time year after year, they still need food to get them through the night. Santa comes prepared by packing treats for them in his bag.

SNACKS

Santa is a man who stays on brand, even with his snacking tendencies. Imagine: The whole world is stockpiling their living rooms with cookies and milk for you, and you still ask your wife to pack cookies for the road. In case Santa gets hungry over the course of his big adventure, he told us he carries a snack from Mrs. Claus. That’s dedication to his craft.

TISSUE TRAVEL PACK

Santa’s a tidy guy (extra gloves, remember?). He isn’t one to leave the house with rogue crumbs or chocolate on his face. The solution? Santa packs a convenient travel pack of tissues.

BREATH MINTS

According to Santa, cookie breath is not always the best. While we’ll agree to disagree with that statement, we can acknowledge that packing breath mints is a good idea for travellers. You never know who you’ll bump into or when halitosis could strike.

WISH LIST

Santa allegedly keeps track of kids’ many Christmas requests in this priceless book of wishes. To leave this book at home on Christmas Eve would be a catastrophe.

NAUGHTY & NICE LIST, TRAVEL EDITION

Who’s getting a cool toy and who’s getting coal? That’s up to the information stored on Santa’s Naughty and Nice list. Instead of bringing the original copy, Santa said he packs a travel edition of the list when he’s making his rounds.

SPARE PAIR OF GLASSES

Between that wish list and the Naughty and Nice roundup, Santa has a lot of logistics to work out on Christmas Eve.

Packing extra glasses is essential to make sure the night runs smoothly.

TOYS

Santa’s packing pièce de résistance: toys. Lots of toys. Santa spends the rest of the year getting those toys ready to go for the big night, and you better believe they’re packed on Christmas Eve.

The Washington Post