Where’s Santa? Here’s how to track his journey this Christmas Eve
Stay Ahead: Your Weekly Guide To Trends
Weekly Guide To Trends In Fashion And Life
Stay Updated: Your Weekly Trend Guide
I would love to receive emails about promotions, events, and news from The Independent. Please check out our privacy policy for more information.
There's nothing quite like the thrill of Christmas Eve when you can track Santa Claus and his reindeer as they make their way around the world delivering gifts.
For many years, kids have been able to find out where the man in the red suit is by connecting with the North American Aerospace Defense Command, or NORAD for short.
The tradition started in 1955 when a child accidentally called a military base in Colorado looking to talk to Santa Claus. This happened after a local newspaper published an ad for a department store that had a wrong phone number.
Luckily, Air Force Commander Harry Shoup, who was answering calls that Christmas Eve, quickly recognized the error and reassured the kids that he was truly Santa Claus.
As the number of calls increased that evening, Commander Shoup designated a duty officer to keep answering the phone. This decision led to a tradition that was carried on by NORAD when it was established in 1958. Over the years, the organization has recruited volunteers to handle the influx of calls on Christmas Eve.
NORAD has set up a website where kids can follow Santa's journey around the globe in real-time. The site went live on December 1 and features a North Pole village along with a countdown to Christmas Eve. On Christmas Eve, visitors can see Santa's whereabouts from 6 a.m. until 2 a.m. on Christmas Day, Eastern Time.
Families can easily get the NORAD Santa Tracker app from the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Anyone who wants to speak with NORAD can call 1-877-HI-NORAD (1-877-446-6723) on December 24, available from 8 a.m. until 2 a.m. on Christmas Day (Eastern Time).
On December 24, Google will introduce its own Santa tracker, just like NORAD's version. This tracker will feature a countdown to Christmas Eve and offer a range of fun games to enjoy while waiting for Santa's journey to begin.
NORAD's website has mentioned that its fighter planes have "caught up with Santa numerous times" over the last 65 years. It also notes that when the jets reach Santa, they tilt their wings to greet him, saying, “Hello Santa. We’re keeping an eye on you again this year.” Santa always responds with a wave.
Norad suggests that the only reasonable explanation for how Santa can travel around the world in a single night is that he operates within a unique time-space reality of his own.
According to intelligence reports from NORAD, Santa doesn't perceive time in the same way we do. Although his journey appears to take 24 hours from our perspective, it could feel like days, weeks, or even months to him.
