Christmas has returned, and in keeping with tradition, Santa and his faithful entourage of reindeer are setting off on their world-trotting journey to spread the holiday spirit.
The Santa tracker, which tracks the Big Red Guy as he makes multiple trips throughout the world in a 24-hour period, is released annually by the North American Aerospace Defence Command (NORAD).
NORAD’s Santa Tracker lets the world follow Santa’s journey around the world every year to celebrate Christmas
The NORAD Santa Tracker simulates Santa’s travels across the world using a combination of radar and satellites.
Beginning near the International Date Line in the Pacific Ocean, Santa’s sleigh heads west, bringing gifts to the South Pacific, then to Australia and New Zealand, then to Asia, Africa and Europe, before crossing the Atlantic to North and South America.
Additionally, NORAD dedicates Christmas Day to fielding calls from adults and children worldwide. Approximately 15 million people visit the website annually, but NORAD volunteers handle over 130,000 calls through the Santa hotline.
Apart from tracking Santa, the NORAD website offers games, music, and Christmas stories to spread the holiday cheer
“When will Santa visit my home?” When the kids anxiously enquire, “Am I on the nice or naughty list?”
Bob Sommers, a 63-year-old NORAD volunteer and civilian contractor, told the New York Post, “There are screams and giggles and laughter.”
Bob frequently reassures enthusiastic kids on the other end of the line that Santa won’t come until they’ve gone to sleep.
“Have you heard him speak? He then hears the parents say, “We had to go to bed early.””When will Santa visit my home?” When the kids anxiously enquire, “Am I on the nice or naughty list?”
Bob Sommers, a 63-year-old NORAD volunteer and civilian contractor, told the New York Post, “There are screams and giggles and laughter.”
Bob frequently reassures enthusiastic kids on the other end of the line that Santa won’t come until they’ve gone to sleep.
“Have you heard him speak? He then hears the parents say, “We had to go to bed early.”
“When is Santa coming to my house?” children eagerly ask when they call up the Santa hotline
Users of the website and app may read Christmas stories, play games, and listen to the red-suited character’s favourite holiday music while monitoring Santa.
USA Today reported that NORAD spokesman Becky Farmer stated, “Santa tracking is a worldwide effort.” Therefore, we are aware of how critical it is to make the tracker available to everyone worldwide.
With the help of Interpreters Unlimited Inc. and its network of more than 10,000 interpreters, NORAD has made sure that youngsters may receive the tracking updates in their home language.
NORAD and Interpreters Unlimited Inc. work together to ensure that children speaking different languages get to join the fun
According to Shamus Sayed, vice president of Interpreters Unlimited, “the children can see where Santa is in their language.”
“Visibility and inclusion are crucial,” he continued.
The website’s voiceovers will be available in Spanish, German, French, Italian, Portuguese, Korean, Japanese, and Chinese for both adults and children.
According to Sayed, there are 101 reasons why children want to see Santa. “This makes me feel good.”
“When the kids see where Santa is, they can see it in their language,” said the vice president of Interpreters Unlimited
The father of two added that NORAD’s Santa monitoring ritual, which has been in place for decades, “brings a smile, every time.”
The spirit of the holidays is brought home and made visible, he continued, “and it’s an escape for the kids and parents.”
An accident in 1955 led to the start of the enduring custom. A child called the number listed in the newspaper after seeing an advertising from Sears urging children to call Santa.
“Santa typically arrives between 9:00pm and midnight local time … when children are asleep,” an update said
The department store didn’t answer his phone, though. The Continental Air Defence Command (now NORAD), a combined U.S. and Canadian endeavour to identify possible foreign attacks, received it instead.
When Air Force Col. Harry Shoup answered the phone, he heard a small voice requesting Santa. Shoup was on duty at the time.
Rather than explain how the youngster obtained the top-secret number, Shoup raised a loud, deep voice and exclaimed: “Ho, ho, ho! I am Santa Claus, yes. Have you behaved well, boy?
The longstanding tradition began after a child accidentally called the military organization in 1955, asking for Santa
“He continued for a little while, and after taking a breath, he said, ‘Hey, you’re not Santa,'” Shoup said in a 1999 interview with The Associated Press.
The boy’s mother then informed the colonel that the number was printed incorrectly on the Sears advertisement. After hanging up, he received perhaps fifty additional calls from eager kids who wanted to speak with Santa that day. As a result, the military organisation developed a new tradition.
As the calls roll in on Christmas Day each year, NORAD volunteers now find it “fun” to listen to children’s Christmas wish lists.
“NORAD radars and satellites are ready to track Santa!” read their latest tweet on X
According to Sayed, several interpreters also come back year after year to make sure the children have happy encounters.
“It’s a lot of fun for us, and it’s not just the right thing to do,” he stated. “The NORAD team is fantastic; they have as much fun and are as passionate as we are.”
On December 24, NORAD tweeted: “Current conditions at the North Pole indicate good weather for flying!!” NORAD has started posting updates on the condition of Santa’s sleigh on its social media accounts.
“Are you prepared? Within one hour, Santa will take off! Check out their most recent tweet about X.
“Hope Santa can fit my Ferrari in the back of the sled,” one social media user joked
