For the 68th consecutive year, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) is upholding its cherished Christmas tradition by operating a temporary call center from its Colorado headquarters, answering children's inquiries, and tracking Santa's global journey. This long-standing practice originated in 1955 when a Colorado newspaper mistakenly redirected children calling a Santa hotline to NORAD's military nerve center, prompting the military to check radar data and provide updates on Santa's whereabouts.
NORAD's interactive website, www.noradsanta.org, showcases a 3-D representation of Santa Claus and his reindeer on their fictional worldwide delivery route, enabling users to click and explore details about various cities along the way. The call center, featuring personnel in uniform or festive Santa caps, responds to children's questions.
Even top-level US officials, including President Joe Biden and First Lady Jill Biden, participated in the NORAD Santa tracking calls with families across the nation, as per a statement from the White House.
While experiencing brief technical difficulties, the Santa tracker was swiftly restored, ensuring children were kept informed about Santa's location. NORAD's operations extend beyond holiday festivities to aerospace and maritime control, including monitoring for missile launches, a pertinent consideration given recent ICBM tests by North Korea as Santa passes overhead.
