The North American Aerospace Defense Command is once again ready to keep track of Santa‘s location on Christmas Eve. Although the agency spends the rest of the year looking for possible threats in the sky, Christmas is that time of the year where NORAD takes on a different role.
According to the Associated Press, children from around the world call the agency on Christmas Eve to ask about Santa’s location.
“There are screams and giggles and laughter,” Bob Sommers, a civilian contractor and NORAD volunteer, told the AP as he talked about the excitement he sees from children on the holiday.
When did NORAD begin tracking Santa?
The tradition started in 1955 when a child accidentally called NORAD after seeing a newspaper ad that listed a phone number and encouraged children to call Santa. As the boy called NORAD, during a time when the agency was focused on protecting the country from a potential nuclear war, Air Force Col. Harry W. Shoup answered the phone. The boy, according to Shoup, told him his Christmas list, but then realized something is wrong.
“He went on a little bit, and he takes a breath, then says, ‘Hey, you’re not Santa,’” Shoup told the AP in 1999.
Shoup, however, played along because he didn’t want to disappoint the child.
“Ho, ho, ho! Yes, I am Santa Claus. Have you been a good boy?” Shoup said he told the boy.
After many more children called NORAD with requests for Santa, it became clear that the newspaper ad mistakenly printed the agency’s emergency phone number. To this day, NORAD continues to answer calls on Christmas to update children on Santa’s latest location.
How to use the Santa Tracker
The website for this year launched on Dec. 1, The Independent reported. Prior to Christmas Eve, it listed a countdown, and on Christmas Eve the website will have Santa’s location from 6 a.m. to 2 a.m. on Christmas Day through early morning. You can also view the tracker on the Santa Tracker app, on both the App Store and Google Play store.
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