
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
Ski Resorts Universally: A Colder time of year Wonderland Guide - 2
A definitive Manual for Internet Mastering and Expertise Improvement - 3
$2,000 tariff rebate checks? 50-year mortgages? Making sense of Trump's new 'affordability' proposals. - 4
Factbox-China's crewed lunar programme eyes astronaut landing by 2030 - 5
ONE returns to Red Sea with new service
Dwayne ‘the Rock’ Johnson opens up about being the 'new guy' again — and why this moment feels like a new life
Make your choice for a definitive Christmas getaway destination!
How many ships have been attacked in the Gulf since start of Iran war?
The Best Internet based Retailers for Style and Frill
9 African migrants died in freezing temperatures near Morocco-Algeria border
African Forests Have Become a Source of Carbon Emissions
Prehistoric wolf’s gut frozen in time reveals an ice age giant
UN rights chief: Israel's new Gaza aid agency rules 'outrageous'
‘I love this work, but it’s killing me’: The unique toll of being a spiritual leader today













