Where is Santa Claus? Here’s how to follow his journey this Christmas Eve

On By Littum

There’s nothing more exciting on Christmas Eve than being able to see exactly where Santa and his reindeer are on their one-night journey as he delivers presents across the globe.

For decades, children have been able to track the location of the man in red by checking in with the North American Aerospace Defense Command, also known as NORAD.

The tradition began in 1955 when a child mistakenly called a military command in Colorado and asked to speak to Santa after a local newspaper carried a department store ad with a misprinted phone number.

Fortunately, Air Force Commander Harry Shoup, who was manning the phones that Christmas Eve, quickly realized the mistake and assured the children that he was indeed Santa Claus.

As more calls came in that night, Commander Shoup assigned an officer on duty to continue answering the phone, spawning a tradition that carried over to NORAD when it was formed in 1958. The organization has recruited volunteers over the years to specifically control the incoming phone calls. into Christmas Eve.

NORAD also has an online tracker so kids can watch Santa travel the world in real time. of the year website launched on December 1st, it currently features a village at the North Pole and a countdown to Christmas Eve. On Christmas Eve, the website will show Santa’s location from 06.00 to 2 a.m. Christmas Day ET.

'NORAD Tracks Santa' dates all the way back to 1955
‘NORAD Tracks Santa’ dates all the way back to 1955 (Norad Tracker)

Families can also download NORAD’s Santa Tracker app from both the Apple App Store and the Google Play Store. Those interested in calling NORAD can use the telephone number 1-877-HI-NORAD (1-877-446-6723) on December 24 from 8 a.m. to 2 a.m. Christmas Day ET.

Google will also have its own version of one Santa’s spurs that goes live on December 24. Similar to NORAD’s tracker, Google has a Christmas Eve countdown clock and various games available before the Santa card goes live.

NORAD’s website previously stated that its fighter jets have “intercepted Santa many, many times” over the past 65 years, adding: “When the jets intercept Santa, they flap their wings to say, ‘Hey Santa. Norad is following you again this year.’ Santa always beckons.”

According to Norad, the “only logical conclusion” as to how Santa is able to cross the globe in one night is that he is “somehow operating within his own time-space continuum.”

“NORAD intelligence reports indicate that Santa does not experience time as we do. His trip seems to take 24 hours to us, but for Santa it can be days, weeks or even months,” the agency said.