Santa Claus is travelling almost at the speed of light, according to NORAD

You can follow his progress using its real-time tracking tool, here

Naughty people face an anxious wait to see if they will receive any gifts

Volunteers are manning the phones in Colorado to take calls from children

The wait is almost over for children all over the world, because Santa has started his annual journey.

You can track his progress with The North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD), which follows Santa as he leaves his top-secret toy factory in the North Pole.

International aircraft have even been warned to steer clear of the North Pole as Santa Claus dashes around the world at almost the speed of light.

You can track Santa in real-time using NORAD's tool below. Mobile users who can't see the tracker above can visit NORAD's website to use it

People can track Santa's progress with The North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD), which follows him as he leaves his toy factory in the North Pole. This screenshot shows tracking has begun