Believe it or not, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) is celebrating the 60th Anniversary of tracking Santa’s yuletide journey! The NORAD Tracks Santa website, www.noradsanta.org, launched on Dec 1 and features Santa’s North Pole Village, which includes a holiday countdown, games, activities, and more. The website is available in eight languages: English, French, Spanish, German, Italian, Japanese, Portuguese, and Chinese.
How on earth did this even get started?? The tradition began in 1955 after a Colorado Springs-based Sears Roebuck and Co. advertisement misprinted the telephone number for children to call Santa. Instead of reaching Santa, the phone number put kids through to the CONAD Commander-in-Chief's operations "hotline." The Director of Operations at the time, Colonel Harry Shoup, had his staff check the radar for indications of Santa making his way south from the North Pole. Children who called were given updates on his location, and a tradition was born.
In 1958, the governments of Canada and the United States created a bi-national air defense command for North America called the North American Aerospace Defense Command, also known as NORAD, which then took on the tradition of tracking Santa.
Since that time, NORAD men, women, family and friends have selflessly volunteered their time to personally respond to phone calls and emails from children all around the world. In addition, we now track Santa using the internet. Millions of people who want to know Santa's whereabouts now visit the NORAD Tracks Santa website.
We turn it on every Christmas Eve, on my laptop in the dining room. Throughout the day, we check his progress and talk about different cultures and world geography. It's fun AND educational! Between now and Christmas Eve, there are other areas to explore on the website and have some fun.
Will you be watching Santa's travels on Christmas Eve?
catch you soon -
We don't even celebrate Christmas, but my youngest follows Santa on the app every year in his room with the lights out and a flashlight so he fan find Santa on our neighbors roofs. Last year my husband snuck outside right when Santa was supposed to be in our area and gently rang some bells. You should have seen the look in our son's face!!
ReplyDeleteI think Gabe will probably try to this year. He's so excited about Santa.
ReplyDelete