For almost 60 years, NORAD and its predecessor, the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) have tracked Santa’s flight.
The tradition began in 1955 after a Colorado Springs-based Sears Roebuck & Co. advertisement misprinted the telephone number for children to call Santa. Instead of reaching Santa, the phone number put kids through to the CONAD Commander-in-Chief’s operations “hotline.” The Director of Operations at the time, Colonel Harry Shoup, had his staff check the radar for indications of Santa making his way south from the North Pole. Children who called were given updates on his location, and a tradition was born.
In 1958, the governments of Canada and the United States created a bi-national air defense command for North America called the North American Aerospace Defense Command, also known as NORAD, which then took on the tradition of tracking Santa.
Santa reviews his flight plan at NORAD
Photo By: Michael Kucharek
Marines assist with Santa tracking.
Photo By: Tech. Sgt. Thomas J. Doscher
PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE – PETERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Colo. – Volunteers for NORAD Tracks Santa answer phone calls and emails from people throughout the world trying to find the location of Santa Claus Dec. 24. More than 1,200 volunteers answered 114,000 phone calls during a 24-hour period. (U.S. Air Force photo by Tech. Sgt. Thomas J. Doscher)
Since that time, NORAD men, women, family and friends have selflessly volunteered their time to personally respond to phone calls and emails from children all around the world. In addition, we now track Santa using the internet. Millions of people who want to know Santa’s whereabouts now visit the NORAD Tracks Santa® website. www.noradsanta.org
The website offers lots of activities for kids: games, movies, music and more.
Track Santa at: www.noradsanta.org
Norad Tracking Santa