
It’s back! In what has become an annual ritual for millions on Christmas Eve, the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD, is tracking Santa Claus’s journey from the North Pole to deliver gifts to children across the globe.
NORAD’s Santa Claus tracker website — NORADSanta.org — includes a map that allows users to track Santa’s location in real time. The site attracts tens of millions of visitors every year.
Beginning at midnight on Christmas Eve, the site utilizes satellite mapping technology and digital animation to simulate the route of Santa’s reindeer and sleigh.
The tracker also features a live count of gifts delivered by Jolly Old St. Nick. At the time of this publication, that figure was more than 1.3 billion.
NORAD’s history of tracking Santa
The practice began in 1955 when a child accidentally called the unlisted number of what was then the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center, asking for Santa Claus.
Not wanting to disappoint the young caller, Air Force Col. Harry Shoup, the command center’s director of operations, “instructed his staff to check the radar for indications of Santa making his way south from the North Pole,” according to NORAD. Each year since, NORAD has dutifully reported Santa’s location on Dec. 24 to millions of children and families.
The binational military organization, based in Colorado Springs, Colo., eventually enlisted volunteers to answer a dedicated phone line to give updates on Santa’s whereabouts. In recent years, those volunteers have included pop stars, presidents and first ladies.
And the hotline still exists: You can call 877-HI-NORAD (877-446-6723) to reach one of the call center’s operators. (President Trump is scheduled to field NORAD Santa calls from Palm Beach, Fla., on Wednesday afternoon.) Last Christmas Eve, it logged more than 300,000 calls.
Just don’t ask when Santa will arrive at your house.
“NORAD tracks Santa, but only Santa knows his route, which means we cannot predict where and when he will arrive at your house,” the organization explains on its FAQ page. “We do, however, know from history that it appears he arrives only when children are asleep!”
LATEST POSTS
- 1
Slims down for Maintainable Weight reduction - 2
5 Home Improvement Styles: Decision in favor of Your #1 - 3
Osteoporosis, the silent disease, can shorten your life − here’s how to prevent fractures and keep bones healthy - 4
Most loved Caf\u00e9 Chain: Where Do You Get Your Caffeine Fix - 5
I visited the largest collection of public telescopes in the US in Oregon's high desert, and the dark skies blew me away
Display of Netanyahu's severed head 'incites public to murder PM', Likud says in official complaint
Proficient Cultivating Devices for a Lovely and Useful Nursery in 2024
Figure out How to Upgrade Your Gold Speculation Portfolio: Vital Bits of knowledge and Strategies
CDC vaccine panel votes to remove universal hepatitis B birth dose recommendation
Scientists detect X-ray glow from interstellar comet 3I/ATLAS extending 250,000 miles into space
Native artists in Texas and Mexico shared their vision of the universe for 4,000 years, ancient murals suggest
Figure out How to Clean and Really focus on Your Lab Jewel
The Developing Nearby Food Development and Its Advantages
Brazilian cardinal orders a popular Catholic priest to go offline following right-wing attacks













