As the song says, “It’s the most wonderful time of the year.” It’s Christmas. There’s a bustle of shopping, familiar carols playing everywhere, snow falling on twinkling holiday lights; at home, there are aromas of timely treats from the kitchen, a tangle of wrappings and gifts under the tree. Neighbors drop by, relatives call, friends visit.
It’s the time of year when everybody can feel like a child, for a while. It’s easy to remember feeling tingly as you awaited Santa’s arrival. You’d get out the cookies, leave the milk (which miraculously didn’t turn sour during the night — I asked once and my parents told me so) and provide something for the reindeer, of course.
The young at heart everywhere can rest easy, because the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) is on the job once again, keeping tabs on Santa as he prepares for his Christmas Eve journey. The U.S. and Canadian binational organization is tasked with aerospace and maritime warning for defense purposes. But at Christmastime, they take on an additional mission: tracking Santa’s every move.
Through a website, apps and social media, their NORAD Tracks Santa effort offers young folks and their parents numerous ways to join the fun.
According to the organization’s Santa Tracker headquarters, the tradition began in 1955 when a Sears advertisement in Colorado Springs misprinted a telephone number children could use to call Santa. The printed number took callers to the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD) operations hotline. Commander-in-chief Col. Harry Shoup and his staff assured young callers of Santa’s safety, and began using their radar equipment to issue tracking reports. The reins were passed to NORAD in 1958, and NORAD has continued the job ever since.
Originating from Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado, the official NORAD Tracks Santa website is www.noradsanta.org. On the site, visitors can see Santa’s North Pole Village, enjoy music and games, and watch the clock count down the seconds to the Jolly Old Elf’s journey.
Starting at 2:01 a.m. Eastern time on Dec. 24, website visitors can watch Santa make preparations for his flight, and to make it really exciting, starting at 6 a.m. that day Santa followers may speak with a live phone operator by dialing the toll-free number 1 (877) Hi-NORAD — 1 (877) 446-6723 — or email noradtrackssanta@outlook.com. Live updates are available in eight languages via web and social media.
According to NORAD’s website, more than 70 corporate and military sponsors help bring NORAD Tracks Santa to the world free, and more than 1,500 volunteers help answer thousands of calls and emails from around the world. Because of this, the organization says, “NORAD Tracks Santa is truly a global experience, delighting generations of families everywhere.”
So, get out those cookies — and don’t forget the reindeer.
