Got this reply on ea forum:
"I've been getting a few e-mails about Santa not showing up, or disappearing after certain goals.
If you are generally a little confused about how the Christmas event goes, please have a look at our Christmas Update FAQ for more information on the Christmas event and other features of the update: http://forum.ea.com/eaforum/posts/list/9151048.page.
If you believe that the time has already come for Santa to show for you and he is not there yet, please let us know:
1. Which device you are using to play the game?
2. Which version of Android or iOS is currently installed?
3. Which version of the Sims FreePlay application is currently installed on your device? You should have 3.2.0 for iOS or 1.8.6 for Android.
4. Are you at or above level 7 yet?
5. Have you ever changed the time and date settings on your device since installing the Sims FreePlay (in your current game, if you have since begun a new one due to previous issues)?
6. Is Santa still available in your Simtracker, or has he disappeared completely?
7. Is there any particular Christmas goal that you were on when Santa disappeared? If you got the message saying that you were not successful in helping Santa fix his sleigh, did you notice the problem begin just after this message?
Feel free to send these responses to
[email protected] if you like. It may be easier to get assistance with this problem in a one-way conversation
Once you complete all of Santa's goals for the day, he will go to continue repairing his sleigh. This should be reflected in the Simtracker as his current action, and he may not be able to be whistled or found. This could explain why some of you seem to have lost him for the rest of the day! He should show again at midnight the next day for the next series of goals he needs help with.