Apart from the numerous Advent calendars available, there is also an opportunity for the youngest among us to keep a close watch on Santa Claus. For 30 years, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) has offered this feature on its website and now through its app.
A Christmas Tale
The story of NORAD tracking Santa Claus began with a simple mistake in 1955, similar to an urban legend. That year, a misprinted advertisement led thousands of children to call NORAD. Colonel Harry Shoup, rather than turning them away, decided to play along. Ho ho ho! And thus, a beautiful tradition was born.
Initially, the telephone service was quickly overwhelmed and had to modernize over the years. In 1997, the first website to track Santa Claus was launched. Today, from December 1st, you can follow the jolly man in red via an app, an interactive website, and still by phone. In 2022, 16 million people followed the event online, and more than 260,000 calls were received.
How to Follow Santa Claus
The NORAD Tracks Santa program offers more than just tracking Santa’s gift delivery route. It also features a countdown to Christmas, games, Christmas music, and movies to keep the children entertained (and to help adults as well). Additionally, there’s a phone line where volunteers personally respond to calls from children (no AI here). In recent years, several other tech companies have launched similar services, like Google.