The tradition of tracking the location of Santa Claus helps children believe in a miracle.
As part of its long-standing Christmas tradition, the U.S.-Canadian military surveillance agency continues to track Santa's location, helping children around the world know when his reindeer-drawn sleigh full of gifts will arrive in their city. On the interactive site www.noradsanta.org Santa Claus route around the world is presented, allowing users to learn more about the various cities along the way.
Such a tradition, introduced by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), began in 1955 due to an error in a newspaper ad that referred children by phone not to Santa, but to the hotline of the military center. In order not to disappoint the children, NORAD's head of operations ordered his staff to check radars to track Santa's location and inform the children of his whereabouts. After 68 years, NORAD continues this tradition by installing a temporary call center at its Colorado headquarters to answer children's questions.
The White House also joined in the festivities. US President Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden took part in NORAD's Santa tracking calls with children and families across the country.
Santa Claus began his journey from the space station, facing the Earth, and then was seen crossing Israel, then Africa, then heading south to the Palmer Research Station in Antarctica. Santa then headed across South America to the US, handing out roughly 100,000 gifts per second, making a total of about 4.9 billion gifts so far.
When Santa Claus is not busy distributing Christmas gifts, NORAD is engaged in monitoring and warning in the air and sea, including tracking missile launches from hostile countries. Combining military precision and children's imagination, this unique event highlights the importance of joy and wonder in the holiday season, showcasing the unique interplay of technology and tradition.
As part of its long-standing Christmas tradition, the U.S.-Canadian military surveillance agency continues to track Santa's location, helping children around the world know when his reindeer-drawn sleigh full of gifts will arrive in their city. On the interactive site www.noradsanta.org Santa Claus route around the world is presented, allowing users to learn more about the various cities along the way.
Such a tradition, introduced by the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), began in 1955 due to an error in a newspaper ad that referred children by phone not to Santa, but to the hotline of the military center. In order not to disappoint the children, NORAD's head of operations ordered his staff to check radars to track Santa's location and inform the children of his whereabouts. After 68 years, NORAD continues this tradition by installing a temporary call center at its Colorado headquarters to answer children's questions.
The White House also joined in the festivities. US President Joe Biden and his wife Jill Biden took part in NORAD's Santa tracking calls with children and families across the country.
Santa Claus began his journey from the space station, facing the Earth, and then was seen crossing Israel, then Africa, then heading south to the Palmer Research Station in Antarctica. Santa then headed across South America to the US, handing out roughly 100,000 gifts per second, making a total of about 4.9 billion gifts so far.
When Santa Claus is not busy distributing Christmas gifts, NORAD is engaged in monitoring and warning in the air and sea, including tracking missile launches from hostile countries. Combining military precision and children's imagination, this unique event highlights the importance of joy and wonder in the holiday season, showcasing the unique interplay of technology and tradition.
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