Every Christmas Eve, millions of children around the world eagerly follow Santa Claus as he makes his magical journey delivering presents. But do you know that the tradition of tracking Santa began not with high-tech satellites or apps, but with a simple mistake – a child’s phone call to the wrong number. The story dates back to 1955 and involves a department store advertisement, a misprinted phone number and the Continental Air Defence Command, now NORAD, a joint US and Canadian project that scans the heavens to spot potential threats, like the Chinese balloon spotted in the US last year.
The phone call
In December 1955, Sears Roebuck & Co placed an advertisement in a Colorado Springs newspaper, inviting children to call Santa Claus directly. The ad featured a phone number for children to connect with “Santa’s private line”. However, the phone number was misprinted, and instead of reaching Santa, children were dialling the hotline of the Continental Air Defense Command (CONAD), the predecessor of NORAD (North American Aerospace Defence Command).
Colonel Harry Shoup, the officer on duty that evening, answered one such call. On the other end of the line was a young boy, excitedly asking to speak to Santa Claus. Realising the situation, Shoup decided to play along. “Ho, ho, ho! Yes, I am Santa Claus. Have you been a good boy?” the Colonel said to the boy.
After the boy’s call, more children began dialling the same number. Rather than dismissing the calls, Colonel Shoup instructed his staff to provide updates on Santa’s location to any child who called. Thus, the first-ever “Santa tracker” was born.
NORAD steps in
A year later, CONAD transitioned to NORAD, but the tradition of Santa tracking continued. By 1958, NORAD officially embraced the role of Santa’s tracker, using its advanced radar systems, satellites and volunteers to share updates on Santa’s travels. Over time, what started as a spontaneous act of kindness evolved into a beloved Christmas tradition celebrated globally.
For decades, NORAD relied on phone lines to keep the tradition alive. Volunteers would answer thousands of calls from children eager to know Santa’s whereabouts. In the 1990s, the rise of the internet revolutionised the experience. NORAD launched its first Santa tracking website in 1997, allowing families to follow Santa’s journey in real time on a virtual map.
Today, NORAD’s Santa Tracker incorporates satellite imagery, GPS and even social media updates. According to NORAD, the Santa website receives nearly 15 million unique visitors from more than 200 countries and territories around the world. Volunteers receive more than 130,000 calls to the NORAD Tracks Santa hotline from children around the globe.
How NORAD tracks Santa?
The NORAD website is a free service. According to Forbes, Santa starts at the International Date Line, the imaginary line that runs from the North Pole to the South Pole. To stay ahead of the clock, Santa travels west, beginning in the South Pacific, then New Zealand and Australia.
Next, he flies over Japan, to rest of Asia, across to Africa, then on to Europe before crossing the Atlantic to Canada and the United States. Finally, he flies south to Mexico and Central and South America.
NOARD takes the tracking job seriously and its jet fighters escort Santa along his route in North America. The pilots of the American Air Force fly their F-15s, F16s or F-22s with Santa and the famous reindeer – Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen and Rudolph.
“In most countries, it seems Santa arrives between 9 pm and midnight on December 24th,” says NORAD. “If children are still awake when Santa arrives, he moves on to other houses. He returns later, but only when the children are asleep!”
