NORAD Tracks Santa’s Sleigh on Christmas Eve

Each Christmas Eve, NORAD (North American Aerospace Defence Command) tracks Santa’s sleigh in real-time as it journeys through the skies. This beloved tradition began in 1955 after a department store ad misprint prompted a child to call a Colorado military centre asking to speak with Santa.

Track Santa Here

Air Force Colonel Harry Shoup, who answered the call, humorously played along and assured the child he was speaking with Santa. As more calls came in, Shoup assigned an officer to manage the growing enquiries, and this spontaneous act led to the annual tradition that NORAD continues today, even after its establishment in 1958.

For decades, NORAD has set aside its usual airspace monitoring duties to respond to children’s questions about Santa’s progress. Each year, more than 100,000 kids call in to track Santa, while millions more follow along online in nine different languages as he travels across the globe.