Santa Claus is Coming to Town: NORAD to Track His Journey on Christmas Eve
While concerns about drone sightings have been widespread in the Northeast, one sight will soon bring joy to children and adults alike: Santa Claus. The North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) is once again preparing to track Santa and his reindeer around the world, a tradition that has been going on for 69 years.
NORAD’s Santa tracking system will go live at 6 a.m. ET on Christmas Eve, allowing Santa watchers to follow his journey on NORAD’s website or by calling the command center at 1-877-HI-NORAD (1-877-446-6723). The tracking service can also be accessed through the NORAD Tracks Santa app, social media, Amazon Alexa, OnStar, and SiriusXM.
The tradition started by accident in 1955 when a local newspaper advertisement listed the wrong number for children to call Santa. Instead, a child called the Continental Air Defense Command Operations Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. Air Force Col. Harry Shoup, who answered the call, assured the child he was Santa, and the rest is history.
Today, the Santa tracker site receives millions of visitors from around the world each year, and volunteers answer over 130,000 calls. Whether you’re a child or just a kid at heart, join in on the fun and follow Santa’s journey on Christmas Eve.