
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
UN warns civil liberties under threat due to war in Middle East - 2
First Houthi launch toward Israel since war began triggers alerts across the Negev - 3
Pick Your #1 breakfast food - 4
Grasping the Qualifications Among Separation and Dissolution - 5
Tragedy in Minnesota, vaccine news, Snoop's game call: Week in review
Vote In favor of Your Favored Kind Of Organic product
Hezbollah field commander killed in IDF strikes in Beirut
Exploring ways to reduce the impact of space junk on Earth
Netanyahu vows to ‘return Negev to Israel,’ pledges settlement growth during visit
Big majority in Germany call Berlin's efforts on gas prices too weak
How to identify animal tracks, burrows and other signs of wildlife in your neighborhood
Boeing's troubled capsule won't carry astronauts on next space station flight
We may have one thing in common with jellyfish, new research finds
UAE recalls some Nestle infant formula products, Qatar warns consumers













