Waiting for Santa: NORAD’s half-century-plus of Christmas Eve tracking

For more than 50 years, a binational military organization has tracked the whereabouts of Santa Claus on Christmas Eve.

Created by a 1958 agreement between Canada and the United States, the North American Air Defense Command — better know as NORAD — is responsible for the aerospace defense of both countries.
The agreement has been renewed nine times, most recently this year.

NORAD provides warning of missile and air attack against its two member nations, safeguards the air sovereignty of North America, and provides air defense forces for defense against an air attack.

As a result of the Sept. 11, 2001, tragedy, NORAD monitors the airspace within Canada and the United States, too. In addition, the command also conducts maritime warnings.

The tradition of tracking Santa Claus was born after a Sears and Roebuck Co., based in Colorado Springs, Colo., ran an advertisement telling children they could call Santa on a special hotline.

The phone number was misprinted, so instead of Santa, children reached the operations hotline of the commander-in-chief of the Continental Air Defense Command, or CONAD, the predecessor of NORAD.

After Col. Harry Shoup, director of operations, received the first Santa call on Christmas Eve in 1955, he directed his staff to check radar data to see if there was any indication of Santa leaving the North Pole on Christmas Eve.

Children who called were then given updates on Santa’s position.

In 1958, NORAD inherited the tradition from CONAD. Since then, its Canadian and American workers have responded personally to phone calls from children.

Media from all over the world also call NORAD on Christmas Eve for updates on Santa’s location.

Last year, millions wanting to know Santa’s whereabouts on Christmas Eve visited NORAD’s Web site. The information is given in six languages — English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian and Japanese.

Hundreds of volunteers spend part of Christmas Eve at NORAD’s Santa Tracking Operation Center to provide Santa updates to thousands of inquiring children worldwide.

Beginning at 2 a.m. Mountain Standard Time on Christmas Eve, children can track Santa online at www.noradsanta.org.

The Web site includes information on the four high-tech systems — radar, satellites, Santa Cams, and jet fighter aircraft — all used to track Santa on Christmas Eve.

Just don’t forget that no matter where Santa is in the world, he will never come to your house until you’re fast asleep.